Draco's Story: Is This Humanly Possible?
by celestial princess
Summary: Draco's falling for Hermione. But is Hermione falling for him? Please r/r!
1. And Then I Saw Her Face

Draco's Story  
  
Hello, all you Harry Potter fans out there. This is Draco Malfoy. NOT that stupid, famous,  
  
"wonderful" git, Harry Potter. This time I'm in the spotlight. So sit down, be quiet, and listen  
  
to my story.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
So, anyway, I was in Potions class stirring up ingredients for a sleep potion. Most of the  
  
class was asleep from trying out their potions. I happened to glance over at Pansy Parkinson. She winked at me. I returned the wink with a weak smile.  
  
I hated Pansy. Everybody thought that we were boyfriend and girlfriend because she was always clinging to my arm or holding my hand. But I actually couldn't stand her. She was a girl from a poor family and only wanted to be my girlfriend for my money. I hate people like that.  
  
I added swamp grass to my potion. Pansy blew me a kiss. I looked down, disgusted. The fumes from my potion were making me woozy. I fell asleep.  
  
I had a dream that I was walking along a road. At the end of the road there was a cliff. I fell  
  
off the cliff onto hard ground. Pansy came up to me. She started to kick me in the ribs. I  
  
yelled for her to stop, but she wouldn't. My ribs were starting to hurt.  
  
I woke up to find myself on the floor and Ron kicking me in the ribs. I sat up painfully.  
  
"What was that for?" I asked him angrily.  
  
"For giving Rita Skeeter all those lies about Harry." He looked at me furiously.  
  
"For God sakes, Ron. That was two years ago!"  
  
"Well, I also hate your guts."  
  
The bell rang, signaling the end of Potions class. I went to my next class, Transfiguration.  
  
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In Transfiguration class we were supposed to be taking notes on how to do human transfiguration, but my mind was on Ron. Why did he take revenge on me now, instead of two years ago? I know that he told me that he hated my guts, but there had to be another reason, right?  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Professor McGonagall had given us a ten minute break, so after hurriedly catching up with my notes and copying down my homework I started on my essay for Potions, but I found it hard to concentrate. What was so important about sleep potions, anyway? I went through my notes, made up some stuff, and my essay was done in seven minutes. Good, more time for Quidditch practice.  
  
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Then Transfiguration class was over instead of going to the Great Hall, I went to the Quidditch field. The rest of the Slytherin team was already there. I went into the locker rooms and put on my robes, grabbed my broomstick and started to fly around the stadium.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When I was done flying around, I went up to Chaser Adrian Pucey.  
  
"Hi, Adrian. What's up?"  
  
He told me that all the teams were looking for new players today because so many of them  
  
graduated last year. We needed Beaters, two Chasers and a Keeper.  
  
Boy, was our team desperate, I thought. "So, uh, when do the people who want to try out  
  
for the team get here?" I asked him.  
  
He checked his watch. "In about five minutes."  
  
I decided to go for another fly around the stadium. When I was halfway around, I stopped.  
  
The people who were trying out were coming. For some strange reason Crabbe and Goyle were in the crowd. Pansy was there, too. Ugh.  
  
"Hi, Draco!" She called up to me. I pretended not to hear her.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
After an hour of tryouts, Adrian read the list for the team. "All right, everyone, listen up.  
  
The Seeker for the team is Draco Malfoy."  
  
Duh, I thought. I was on the team already.  
  
"The Beaters for the team are Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle." Those two? They were that smart? Now that's a surprise.  
  
"The Keeper is Millicent Bulstrode. The three Chasers are me, Eric Higgs and Pansy Parkinson." Oh, no. This is not going to be good.  
  
I landed my broom. Pansy ran up to me, shrieking with excitement.  
  
"Oh, Draco! Isn't this great? I can't believe that I got on the team."  
  
"Yeah, Pansy," I said disappointedly. "It's...great...."  
  
She ran off towards the school building. Probably to tell all her friends the "good news."  
  
Adrian came up to me. "You know, I can't believe that all your friends made the team."  
  
I gave him a puzzled look. "What friends?" I asked him.  
  
"Hello, Crabbe and Goyle...." "Those two idiots? They're not my friends. They're just my bodyguards."  
  
"Well, Pansy is on the team, too."  
  
"Don't even remind me of that."  
  
"I thought she was your girlfriend."  
  
"No, she's not. She just wants to be my girlfriend because I'm rich." I left the field, changed back into my regular school robes and went to the common room to do homework.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When I was done with my homework, I decided to skip dinner and go to bed. I was really tired after Quidditch practice.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Four weeks later, it was time for the school's first Quidditch match: Gryffindor versus  
  
Slytherin. The stands were packed.  
  
I was in the locker rooms putting on my robes I looked around for familiar faces in the crowd.  
  
There was Snape, cheering us on, and McGonagall, supervising the new commentator, Colin Creevy.  
  
Madame Hooch's whistle blew. Both teams went onto the field. When I looked at the Gryffindor team, my jaw dropped. The new people on the team were Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean Thomas, Ginny and a Seventh year boy that I had never seen before.  
  
Madame Hooch's whistle blew again. We mounted our brooms and took off.  
  
"Aaaand, they're off!" shouted the magnified voice of Colin Creevy. "The quaffle is passed  
  
back and forth between Ron Weasley and Dean Thomas. They're going toward the Slytherin goal.  
  
They shoot. They score!" Cheers filled the stadium.  
  
I looked up and saw Hermione cheering on her roomstick. It struck me how pretty she looked. Her hair glimmered in the sunlight - wait a minute, hair doesn't glimmer - a snitch does though!  
  
I started speeding toward her. She panicked and flew away, thinking I was going to attack her. As my hand closed around the snitch, I could her cheering.  
  
"You stupid idiot, Harry!" Colin shouted. "How could you let Slytherin win?"  
  
"Mr.Creevy, has Lee Jordan been giving you lessons on commentating over the summer?"  
  
Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
The Slytherin team gathered around me, cheering and patting me on the back.  
  
"You know, Draco," Adrian said to me. "Once during a Quidditch game Harry Potter caught the snitch in less than ten minutes. You, on the other hand, caught it in less than five."  
  
We all landed our brooms and rushed to the locker rooms.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Hey, Crabbe. Gimme another one!" Crabbe poured another glass of butterbeer for Adrian.  
  
We were having a party in the Slytherin common room after the match. Someone had nicked enough food and drinks from the kitchen to have a real party. Someone else got hold of some kind of muggle equipment that plays songs and got it to work, (which was pretty cool because muggle equipment isn't supposed to work at Hogwarts). Right now it was playing a fast song that went,  
  
  
  
"Then I saw her faaaaaaaaaace, Now I'm a believer, Not a traaaaaaaaaaace of doubt in my  
  
miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind, I'm in love, ooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied."  
  
The song reminded me of when I saw Hermione cheering. She looked so pretty on a broomstick, cheering for her team.  
  
"Um, excuse me." My thoughts were interrupted by a girl who looked about two years younger than me. "Do you want to dance with me?" she asked.  
  
"Maybe later," I said. I was still thinking about Hermione. Suddenly, a thought struck me:  
  
What if I was falling in love with her? No, that's impossible, I told myself. What would a  
  
Slytherin Pureblood find in a Gryffindor Mudblood? I can't be in love with her.....can I?  
  
I went to get a butter beer and just to make sure that I didn't like Hermione I asked that  
  
girl if she still wanted to dance. She said yes.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
In bed a few hours later, I kept replaying in my head that moment when I saw Hermione and then caught the snitch. Remembering her smile, I smiled too and fell asleep.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day, going to Arithmancy class, I saw her with Harry and Ron.  
  
"Hi, Hermione," I mumbled. That was a BIG mistake. I felt my face getting all hot. I could hear Harry and Ron laughing. I turned and walked away. They were still laughing.  
  
"Hermione," I heard Harry say loudly. "I think Draco fancies you." I started to walk away  
  
quicker.  
  
"He must," Ron said, just as loudly. "If he didn't then he would've tried to hex us already!"  
  
I started to run.  
  
"Oh, look, Ron! He's running away! I guess he wants to play a game of tag!"  
  
"Well then, Harry, let's catch him!" They started to run after me. I tried to run faster,  
  
but too late. They caught up with me and shoved me onto the ground. Harry grabbed my bag and started to going through it. Ron started to punch me.  
  
"Stop, it! STOP IT!" I cried. He kept punching me. Somehow I got up and pinned him  
  
face down to the floor.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME FOR?" I shouted at him. "I DEMAND A LOGICAL EXPLANATION!"  
  
"You......you...." he gasped. I think I was making it hard for him to breathe.  
  
"I WHAT?"  
  
"You.....were.....after.....my.....girl."  
  
"WHAT!!!!!" I picked him up and threw him against the nearest wall I could find. He crumpled to the floor. Harry jumped on me and started whacking me with one of my schoolbooks.  
  
I picked up an ink bottle and threw it at him. I missed. It shattered against the wall. He threw  
  
an ink bottle at me, too, and missed, splashing ink on the floor. I reached into my bag, meaning to get my wand, but pulled out a quill pen instead. Harry started to laugh.  
  
"What are you going to do?" he asked tauntingly, reaching into my bag and pulling out my wand. "Gonna try to hex me with a quill pen, are you?" He laughed some more.  
  
I looked at the pen, looked at him and got an idea. With lightning fast speed I threw myself  
  
on top of him and plunged my quill pen into his scar. He let out a bloodcurdling shriek as he  
  
tried to pull the quill pen out of his forehead. His scar started to get longer, started to run  
  
down his face. Then, with a sickening jolt I realized that his scar wasn't getting longer.  
  
Blood was running down his face. He pulled the quill pen out and looked at me.  
  
"Draco!" he yelled. "What did you do that for?!" I could see that tears were running down his face as well as blood. So, I thought. The famous Harry Potter actually knows how to cry.  
  
"What did you do that for?" He asked me again. I said nothing. He started to advance upon me. "When I ask a question, I expect an answer!" He threw me against a wall. THUD! Blackness.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
I woke up in the hospital wing, remembering what happened. I tried to sit up, but Madam Pomfrey rushed over and told me to lie back down. "What happened?" I asked her.  
  
"Well, Professor Snape was walking along the corridor when he saw all three of you out cold.  
  
He magicked you into three stretchers and brought you here. I must say, he looked very worried."  
  
Snape worried? I thought. That's impossible. He never looses his cool.  
  
Suddenly the hospital wing door flew open. Snape was standing in the doorway looking as  
  
worried as ever which is cool, because he's never worried. "Poppy," he said, looking panicked. "Poppy, is he all right?"  
  
"Yes, Severus," she said. "He's fine. Just woke up."  
  
Snape rushed over to my bed.  
  
"Are you all right, Malfoy?" he asked me. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Yes, Professor," I said. "I'm fine."  
  
"That's good. Did you know how worried I was when I saw you out cold?"  
  
A groan from the next bed. I looked around. Ron just woke up.  
  
"Where am I?" he asked. "What am I doing here?"  
  
"You're in the hospital wing, dear," Madame Pomfrey told him. "You got knocked out."  
  
Another groan told us that Harry woke up, too. I saw him on the other side of Ron and my stomach dropped a few notches. He had a square of gauze on his scar.  
  
"Well," said Madam Pomfrey cheerfully. "Now that we're all awake, I can call in Dumbledore!"  
  
Ron, Harry and I gasped in unison.  
  
"Severus, will you please go get him?" Snape left and came back about fifteen minutes later  
  
with Dumbledore at his heels, and left. Dumbledore looked upset. Not angry upset, but  
  
sad upset. Sad and a little weary.  
  
"Boys," he said. "Please tell me what happened." We all started talking at once.  
  
"All I did was say hi and they jumped me-"  
  
"-knocked me against -"  
  
"-threw a quill pen-"  
  
"-well, what did you expect-"  
  
"-pinned me down-"  
  
"-threw me-"  
  
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT, PROFESSOR!"  
  
"Boys, boys," he held up a hand to quiet us. "One at a time, please! You first, Mr. Malfoy."  
  
"Well," I began. "I was going to Arithmancy class and on the way I saw Harry, Ron and  
  
Hermione. All I did was say hello to Hermione and continue on my way." I continued to tell him everything, including the quill pen incident. When I told him this he looked pretty shocked.  
  
When I finished my story, Dumbledore asked Harry and Ron if what I said was true. They said yes. He then asked them why exactly they attacked me. They hung their heads and mumbled that they didn't know. Dumbledore sort of raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything about it.  
  
"Well boys," he sighed. "I'm afraid I have some points to take away." We all groaned. "First to  
  
you, Mr. Malfoy. I'm very disappointed in you. That was some nerve to knock Ron against a wall and stick Harry with a quill pen. I take away seventy- five points from Slytherin."  
  
Oh well, I thought. It could be worse.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I'm very upset with you two. Mr. Malfoy probably caused more damage than you, but you did start the fight. So I take away sixty points each." He then stood up and walked out of the hospital wing.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
That night I got up to go to the bathroom. When I was walking back to my bed I noticed Harry watching me.  
  
"What are you looking at?" I snapped at him.  
  
"Draco, why do hate me?" he asked. I felt a chill go up and down my spine.  
  
"Why do you want to know?" I walked over to my bed and got in it.  
  
"I'm just curious." He walked over to my bed and sat down at the foot of it.  
  
"Well I don't want to tell you, so leave me alone." I lay down and pulled the covers over my  
  
head. He pulled them back.  
  
"C'mon, Draco."  
  
"No, I want to go to sleep."  
  
"Pleeeeeeeease?"  
  
"Fine, fine, I'll tell you. The reason I hate you so much is because I was the first student  
  
from Hogwarts to meet you. I extended my friendship to you. Then next thing I know,  
  
you're hanging out with that Weasley character and acting like I don't exist!" Harry looked  
  
slightly taken aback.  
  
"Is that why you hate Ron so much?"  
  
"Partly, but I also hate him because his father was on the squad that busted my father for being a Death Eater. And now since You-Know-Who is back they search our manor all the time! You don't know what it's like to have a big group of people come to your house and start going through everything, leaving no stone unturned, confiscating items left and right and leaving the house a complete mess!"  
  
"I didn't know that you wanted to be my friend so badly. But you have Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy, right?" I didn't know why I was so being open to him and I wanted to stop. But something told me to keep talking.  
  
"You know, I keep telling everybody this. Pansy is just some really annoying girl who wants me for my money and Crabbe and Goyle are too stupid to do anything but guard me."  
  
"But what about your father?" he asked. I felt my eyes getting all hot and itchy.  
  
Don't cry now, I thought. Not in front of Harry Potter!  
  
"My father barely pays any attention to me. The only time he actually does pay attention to me is when I ask him to buy me something, when he tells me do something or when he's  
  
yelling......at......me......" My voice choked on the last few words and I started to cry.  
  
I heard the bed creaking followed by muffled footsteps. Harry must have gotten up and gone  
  
back to bed. I decided to go to bed, too.  
  
I slept fitfully that night.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day I woke up and tried to remember a dream that I had. I was talking to Harry  
  
about......I remember! I was telling him why I hated him so much. I also told him about Ron  
  
and......and my father. I looked looked on the other side of Ron. Harry was already up.  
  
"Hey, Harry!" I called to him. "I had such a weird dream last night. You were in it."  
  
"Yeah?" He called back. "What was I doing?"  
  
"You were listening while I was pouring my heart out to you."  
  
"Um, Draco?"  
  
"Yeah I know. Isn't it weird?"  
  
"No, Draco. That's not what I was thinking."  
  
"What were you thinking?"  
  
"That wasn't a dream."  
  
"You mean, I really did pour my heart out to you last night?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Oh, God, I thought. I'm screwed.  
  
"Well, don't tell Ron what I told you last night, Harry."  
  
"O.K."  
  
"Promise?" He nodded his head.  
  
Just then Madam Pomfrey came bustling in with breakfast trays followed by Hermione who was carrying a tray as well. Madam Pomfrey put two trays in front of Harry and Ron. Hermione put her tray in front of me.  
  
I looked into those beautiful brown eyes of hers and time seemed to freeze for a second as we stared at each other. Then she went off to talk with Harry and Ron while I started on my  
  
breakfast.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Then she left, Madam Pomfrey came up to us with a big smile on her face.  
  
"Good news, Mr. Weasley," she said. "You are now well enough to go back to class." Ron  
  
groaned. "Well come on, Mr. Weasley get dressed!" She threw a robe at Ron and put a  
  
screen around his bed.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Once Ron had left, Harry asked Madam Pomfrey if he could sleep in Ron's bed. She said it was fine.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
That night, when Madam Pomfrey had gone to bed, we started talking.  
  
"Did you know that you were looking at Hermione sort of weird when she served you your food?" Harry asked me. "I did?" I said, sort of nervous.  
  
"Uh-huh. She served you your food and you looked into her eyes and your face went all slack  
  
and your eyes got sort of glazed - looking. Do you like her?"  
  
I suddenly found my quilt real interesting. I mumbled no.  
  
"Aw, c'mon Draco. You know you like her."  
  
"I do not!"  
  
"Yes, you do." This went back and forth for a while until finally I gave in. Harry gave me  
  
sort of an I-knew-it-all-along look and started to sort of chuckle to himself.  
  
"Hey, Harry, I got a question for you."  
  
"Yeah? What?"  
  
"Yesterday you were really mad at me. But today, we're talking like we're the best of  
  
friends. Why?"  
  
"Well after what you told me last night, I realize that you're actually a nice guy."  
  
"I'm flattered." We went to sleep.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next day, Harry woke me up with very excitedlook on his face.  
  
"Draco, Draco, wake up!"  
  
"O.K., O.K., I'm up" I said, trying to force my eyes open. "What do you want?"  
  
"I am so brilliant. Draco, tell me that I'm brilliant."  
  
"What makes you so brilliant?"  
  
"I've just thought of a way that you can tell Hermione that you like her without suffering embarrassment." A chill ran up and down my spine.  
  
"Yeah? How?"  
  
"Well, tomorrow's Saturday, right?"  
  
"I don't know. I haven't been paying attention to the days of the week."  
  
"Well, anyway, tomorrow's Saturday. So I was thinking that tomorrow you and Hermione could meet somewhere secret in the school."  
  
"And where exactly would that place be?"  
  
"Hmmmm....how about....I know! I heard of this secret tower in the school once."  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"Go to the seventh floor. Once you get to the top of the steps, hang a left and continue  
  
walking straight until you reach a statue of a girl with a an owl on her shoulder. Go up to the  
  
statue and say, 'Dissendium.' The statue will move aside to reveal a hidden tower."  
  
"That's a great idea, Harry! But how will we get Hermione to go there?"  
  
"I know! You'll already be inside the tower. I'll bring her there, and she'll see you. Then  
  
I'll leave. When you're alone you can tell her that you like her, and Hogwarts will be  
  
introduced to it's newest couple!"  
  
"Oh, O.K."  
  
"So, when do you want this to happen?"  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Five hours later I was combing my hair to get ready for the big occasion. There were  
  
butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't stay in one position for more than five minutes. I  
  
started to pace the hospital wing, and with each step thanked God for making Madam Pomfrey a sound sleeper who liked to go to bed early. Finally, Harry asked me if I was ready. I said yes. He then reached under the mattress and got out something fluid and silvery-looking.  
  
Oh my God, I thought. Harry has an invisibility cloak! I made a mental note to ask Father to  
  
get me one, too. Harry put the cloak over both of us and we went  
  
out of the hospital wing.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
When we got to the statue Harry said, "Dissendium." The statue moved aside to reveal a  
  
dark tower filled with white cozy - looking armchairs and sofas. I was reminded of the  
  
Slytherin common room. The tower even had a fireplace with a beautifully carved mantelpiece.  
  
"So," said Harry. "How do you like the common room of the lost fifth house of Hogwarts?"  
  
I looked around in awe. I had heard myths about the lost house, but I had never believed them true. Harry lit a fire and suddenly the room became a lot brighter. I could even make out  
  
two staircases which I guessed led to the boys and girls dorms of the lost fifth house. I  
  
wondered how they felt when.... but that wasn't important right now.  
  
"So, should I get Hermione now?" Harry asked.  
  
"O.K.," I said. "But what excuse are you going to give her so she can come up here?"  
  
"Don't worry. I already have one."  
  
Harry left the tower.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Half an hour later, he came back with Hermione following him. She looked around, saw me and gave Harry a look that said, "This isn't what I was expecting," and sat down in a chair.  
  
"Well," said Harry. "I guess I'll leave you two alone now," and walked out of the room.  
  
"Uh, Hermione," I said. I walked over and sat in a chair next to her.  
  
She turned her head and focused her beautiful brown eyes on me.  
  
"Hermione, I-I-I..."  
  
"What, Draco?" She asked coldly.  
  
Oh, God, I thought. I can't tell her. I can't!  
  
"What is it, Draco?"  
  
"Hermione," I took a deep breath. "I-I-I-I-I...I've been in love with you ever since the Quidditch match and......I.....um.....uh...."  
  
Stop blabbering! I told myself.  
  
Hermione looked like she knew something I  
  
didn't.  
  
"Oh, Draco. I'm sorry, but I just can't. Ron's already my boyfriend and we've had a steady  
  
relationship going on for a while, and Harry knew that I would never leave Ron. I'm sure that he set this up so we could meet in privacy and make this easier for both of us. Isn't that what  
  
friends are for?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." But really I felt like my heart had been torn into a million pieces.  
  
Author's note: There is no evidence in the books if a lost fifth house of Hogwarts, so don't go  
  
trying to find it, because it isn't there!  
  
  
  
  


	2. I'm in Love, I'm a Believer

Hi! It's Draco again. How are all of you? Did you miss me? Do you want to know what happens next? Well, I'll stop blabbering and let you find out.  
  
* * *  
  
I was in History of Magic class, spacing out as usual. Pansy passed me a note. I crumpled it in anger, without even bothering to read it. Then I thought that I probably should, just in case. I looked at it. It was just some junk about how much she loved me. I felt really awkward when I read it. She still didn't know about Hermione and me, even though it had been a month since we met in the tower that night. I had to break it to her somehow. But how? I decided to think about that later. The bell was about to ring. Potions was next.  
  
* * *  
  
In Potions class, I kept looking over at Hermione. Even though she told me that Ron was her boyfriend, I still liked her. She looked up and I smiled at her. She gave me a small smile and returned to talking with Ron and Harry.  
  
Snape came striding into the room, his black robes swishing behind him. He informed us that we would be making a mind reading potion. He started to write the ingredients up on the board.  
  
When my potion was ready, I drank it. It was weird. I got this sense of when you're at the beach and the waves are washing over you. Only it was inside my head. I looked over at Pansy. She was gushing about how much she loved me, only her lips weren't moving.  
  
Cool, I thought. I can read minds!  
  
I looked over at Hermione and heard her think about what she was going to wear for her date with Ron on Friday. A wave of jealousy swept over me, even though it was very obvious that she belonged to him.  
  
But for some reason I was still in love with her. I knew that she was smart and very, very beautiful but she already had a boyfriend. Shouldn't that be a major turn off? I was getting all confused.  
  
Then the bell rang, getting me out of my confusion. I checked my schedule to see what was next. Good. We had lunch now.  
  
* * *  
  
Going down to the Great Hall, I saw Hermione struggling with her many books. She was trying to keep up with Harry and Ron but the weight of her books were pulling her back. Then her books decided to spill. Everything in her bag fell all over the floor. I scrambled to help her pick them up.  
  
"Thanks, Draco," she said. "But I don't want you to do this again."  
  
I gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"  
  
"Ron," she said with a sigh. "He gets extremely jealous when anyone tries to come near me."  
  
"But that's ridiculous!"  
  
"I know it is. You know it is. But he doesn't know that it is. So please don't get involved with me again in any way, Draco. Please."  
  
"If you say so, Hermione. But I just want to do one thing before I leave." I kissed her on the lips. I felt her body become very tense, then relaxed. I felt her put her arms around my shoulders.  
  
"SEE," I heard Harry's voice yell. "See, Ron! I told you that Draco wanted to take Hermione from you!" I felt a heavy blow on the back of my head. I fell on top of Hermione.  
  
"YOU!" Ron yelled at me. "GET OFF OF MY GIRL!"  
  
I stood up, my face burning with embarrassment and anger. Harry was holding One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi in his hand. I looked at him dead in the eye.  
  
"Harry," I said quietly. "I thought we were friends."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ron yelled with a mixture of surprise and anger. "Harry, YOU were Draco's FRIEND?!"  
  
Harry gave sort of a sheepish smile. "Well...yeah...sort of...but then I realized that I was being totally ridiculous so I decided to forget about Draco and just be friends with Ron."  
  
I just stood there, numb. I couldn't believe it. Harry had decided to betray me when I had twice extended my friendship to him. Ron and I just stood there, shaking with fury, until he said those two words that changed everything.  
  
"Jump him."  
  
Ron and I threw ourselves on top of Harry and started punching him. We didn't cease, even when blood started to flow from his nose. And with each punch, I recalled what it was for.  
  
This is for getting all the limelight, I thought. And this for betraying me, and this is for throwing me against a wall, and this is for that rumor going around that you snuck into the Slytherin common room in our second year, and this is for getting better grades than me, and this is for being a teacher's pet, and this is for getting into the Triwizard Tournament, and this is for...  
  
I looked over my shoulder and saw Hermione standing there doing nothing, with sort of an awkward look on her face.  
  
"C'mon," I said, taking off Harry's glasses and throwing them at her feet. "Give us a hand!"  
  
She picked up Harry's glasses and a sly smile spread across her face. She threw his glasses against a wall, and the lenses shattered into a million pieces. I could hear Harry cry out in pain.  
  
"Gladly," she said. She stepped gingerly over Harry's wildly flailing legs and joined us in beating him up.  
  
I was surprised. This was a side of Hermione that I had never seen before. I had expected her to run off calling for some professor or another, yet here she was punching Harry, her fist smeared with the blood from his nose.  
  
BEEP - BEEP! BEEP - BEEP! BEEP - BEEP! That was Harry's watch.  
  
"Oh, my God!" said Hermione. "We forgot about lunch!" We suddenly stopped. I looked at my bloody hands and became panicked. What was I supposed to do? Hermione had obviously thought the same thing because she said that we should go to the bathroom, wash our hands, then go to the Great Hall and act like nothing had happened.  
  
We all agreed and went to the bathroom to wash our hands leaving Harry lying, bruised and bloody, in the hallway.  
  
* * *  
  
When I got to the Great Hall after washing the blood off my hands I felt like everyone knew what I had done. I tried to act as normal as possible, but found it extremely hard to do so.  
  
I jumped when I heard a scream, but it was just someone who happened to sample one of Fred and George Weasley's inventions. Thank God.  
  
Then I happened to look over at the Gryffindor table and saw Ginny get up and walk out of the Great Hall. My heart started to beat very fast. What if she saw Harry? Would she tell the teachers? Knowing Ginny, she probably would.  
  
In a little while, I heard a shriek echo from the hallway, then Ginny came running in with her face all pale looking like she had just seen the bloody ghost of Christmas past. She ran up to the high table and signaled for Dumbledore to follow her. He followed, with a very worried look on his face.  
  
I clasped my hands very hard in my lap. I wanted someone to throw a knife at my heart. I didn't want to see what was next. I didn't want to suffer the consequences. I tried to eat my lunch, but for some reason my throat didn't seem to let the food go down.  
  
Dumbledore came back into the Great Hall, holding the unconscious Harry in his arms. Ron, Hermione, and I exchanged nervous glances. I again clasped my hands tightly in my lap. I felt sick.  
  
"Who did this?" Dumbledore roared. He was so angry, that it looked like he would start breathing fire if he opened his mouth again. I felt even sicker. The Great Hall grew silent. I swear, nobody even dared to breathe.  
  
"Don't try to hide from me!" Dumbledore said. "Because I will find out. Right now I'm taking Harry to the hospital wing. The culprit has until the end of the week to confess. Any later, and they will be expelled." The Great Hall, if possible, grew even quieter. Just then the bell rang. I don't think it could have come at a more perfect time.  
  
* * *  
  
In my next class, Transfiguration, I couldn't pay attention to whatever McGonagall had to say. I was too nervous about getting in trouble with Dumbledore. I was sure that if I got expelled, I would never hear the last of it from my father.  
  
Professor McGonagall came over to me and asked me what preparations you had to make in order to transfigure a badger. I told her I didn't know.  
  
"Well," she said to the class. "It's obvious that Mr. Malfoy hasn't been paying attention. Does any one else know?" To my great humiliation, Goyle raised his hand and answered perfectly.  
  
* * *  
  
During Divination class, just as I was mastering the art of tarot cards, Dumbledore came in. My stomach dropped about fifty notches.  
  
"Excuse me Professor Trelawney," he said. "May I please borrow Mr. Malfoy?" She said it was fine, but I wish she hadn't.  
  
* * *  
  
Dumbledore led me up to the hospital wing. I felt like I had to be sick, I was so nervous.  
  
In the hospital wing, I saw Harry lying on a bed looking very mad at Ron and Hermione. They were sitting on chairs next to his bed and looked as nervous as I felt. I collapsed into a chair, too nervous to say anything. When Harry saw me, he threw his half - full bed pan in my direction. Luckily it missed me by about a mile. Well, it was probably about two feet...but that's besides the point.  
  
Dumbledore pulled up a chair and sat down near Harry.  
  
"Harry, could you please recount the events that happened before lunch, and don't try to lie, because Professor Snape has generously lent me a pint of veritaserum."  
  
Harry said everything that happened, down to the very last detail. When he was done, Dumbledore spoke again.  
  
"Well boys, this is the second time this year that you've had a major fight, so I'm afraid that I'll have to be a little harsher on you this time." I put my face in my hands, ready to hear that all the points were taken from Slytherin. But they weren't. Ron, Hermione and I each got one hundred points taken away from our houses which was a good thing for me, because no one else from Slytherin was in on this. We also got detention. We had to help Professor McGonagall clean up her classroom for two hours after dinner tomorrow.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, after dinner, I gloomily made my way to the door of Professor McGonagall's classroom and waited for Ron and Hermione. They came trudging up the stairs looking as though it was the end of the world. Professor McGonagall opened the door to her classroom and herded us inside where we were given our tasks. I had to clean the blackboard and the windows, Ron had to clean out the desks and poor Hermione was stuck with sweeping the floor.  
  
After forty - five minutes of cleaning, Professor McGonagall left the room and returned with that muggle equipment that plays songs. I got very excited when I saw it.  
  
"I decided to bring this in since you're doing such a good job," Professor McGonagall said. "And you're almost done, anyway." She turned it on with a flick of her wand. It started to play.  
  
"I thought love was only true in fairy tales, Meant for someone else but not for me, Love was out to get to me, That's the way it seems, Disappointment haunted all my dreeeeeeeeams,  
  
And then I saw her faaaaaaaaaace, Now I'm a believer, Not a traaaaaaaaaaace, Of doubt in my miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind, I'm in love ooooooooooooaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I triiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied,"  
  
I started to smile. It was playing my song. I tapped my foot to the beat as I cleaned the blackboard. I started to sing along to the music. I got this swelling feeling in my chest and a bigger smile broke out over my face. I knew this feeling. It was the feeling of extreme happiness. I looked over at Hermione and saw her bopping to the music and acting as if the broom was her dance partner. I went over to her.  
  
"Hermione," I held out my hand to her. "Will you dance with me?" A big, girlish smile spread over her face.  
  
"Of course, Draco," she said. "I would love to."  
  
We swung, tangoed and waltzed around the classroom as the song continued to play. Then Ron came up and asked Hermione if she wanted to dance with him. So she danced with him for a while and then flew back into my arms. We continued to dance with each other until the song was over.  
  
Then, all too soon, Professor McGonagall said that we were finished and we had to go back to our houses.  
  
* * *  
  
I went back to my house with wings on my feet until I realized something. I still had to do my homework. Ugh.  
  
So I got out my parchment, quills, assignment book, and started on it.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, at breakfast, I looked over at the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione talking to Ginny. My heart fluttered in my chest as Hermione looked my way. I quickly put my head down because I was too nervous to make eye contact with her.  
  
I reached into my bag for my schedule to see what classes I had today. I had Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Lunch, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.  
  
* * *  
  
During Care of Magical Creatures class, we were working with fire - breathing salamanders. Hagrid told us to pair up the because the salamanders were dangerous. I was with Hermione because there was nobody left.  
  
After we chose our groups, we were given our assignment - to feed the salamanders. How Hagrid came up with this idea is beyond me.  
  
After feeding the salamanders for a while, one of them shot out a burst of flame that hit Dean Thomas full in the face. Hagrid rushed Dean to the hospital wing, leaving us all alone with the salamanders. I was wondering what we would do if one of the salamanders burned someone again when Hermione tapped me on the shoulder.  
  
"Yes, Hermione?" I said with a tone of annoyance in my voice. I hate when people tap me on the shoulder.  
  
"There's something important I have to tell you, Draco. I broke up with Ron last night."  
  
"May I ask why?" I asked her skeptically. "Because this doesn't seem like something you would do. You even told me yourself that you and Ron had a steady relationship going. He's your boyfriend, Hermione. Why would you break up with him?"  
  
"That's true, Draco. But don't you remember what I also told you? And I quote: 'Ron, he gets extremely jealous when anyone tries to come near me.' It's true, Draco. He acts like this all the time. Sometimes I feel trapped, like I can't do anything without him."  
  
"I can sympathize with you on that, Hermione. But why are you telling me this?"  
  
"Because I like you."  
  
Those last three words came to me as a blow, like when Harry hit me across the back of my head with One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. This couldn't be happening. Just to make sure that I hadn't slipped into fantasy, I asked her to repeat what she had just said.  
  
"Like I said before, I like you," she said. Now it was clear that I wasn't dreaming.  
  
"O.K. Hermione," I said. "A little wake - up call here. I was the guy who started calling you 'Mudblood' in our second year, lied about you and Harry in The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly in our fourth year, teased you mercilessly every year, and you're saying that you like me? I don't get that. And anyway, you told me yourself that you didn't like me."  
  
"I know, but I was lying to myself. I really did like you. I had liked you ever since I first saw you on the Hogwarts Express. The way you held yourself, tall and straight, acting like you were someone important. That bad boy smirk that always said, 'yeah, whatever.' That drawl in your voice that said, 'don't mess with me.' And those eyes...those eyes that leave the viewer transfixed. Harry always described your eyes as hard and cold, but I think of them as dark, mysterious and full of secrets. But there's something else in your eyes, Draco. I saw it before you kissed me. They looked... sad... and full of longing...like a puppy that's just been beaten. That's partly why I let you kiss me. You looked so sad and lonely...." her voice trailed off as she looked into the distance and sighed.  
  
"My money," I cut in rudely.  
  
Hermione looked at me weird. "What?"  
  
"I said, 'my money.' You want me for my money, don't you?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Well Pansy does."  
  
"But I'm not Pansy, and I'm shocked to think that you would compare me to her."  
  
"Sorry, I just haven't been feeling myself lately."  
  
Hagrid came back and told us that Dean was going to be fine, he just needed a few days in the hospital wing. He then dismissed us early, not wanting another accident to happen.  
  
I left class on my way to Charms thinking, Hermione likes me! I don't believe it! This is too good to be true!  
  
* * *  
  
In Herbology a while later, I was so wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn't realized that I had dropped my pot of the seed some venomous plant that I couldn't remember the name of and it started to blossom big, blue flowers that smelled like rotting meat.  
  
"Malfoy! What do you think you're doing?" Professor Sprout said as she gagged on the stench.  
  
"Sorry, Professor," I mumbled in embarrassment. "But I wasn't paying attention."  
  
"Yes, I'm fully aware of that," she snapped. "I'm also aware of the fact that you spilled some very valuable Ikterious seeds that help cure insomnia! And now they have turned into flowers which is a waste of fifty galleons because you can only use them when they're seeds! Now I want you to pick up every seed that you dropped and twenty points are taken from Slytherin for spacing out when you should have been paying attention!"  
  
I grumbled as I spent the rest of class on my hands and knees to uproot the flowers, wondering how kind, cheery Professor Sprout could be such a sadist.  
  
* * *  
  
In Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I kept staring at our teacher, Madam Delacour. It wasn't my fault that I was staring at her. She was part veela, so there was something in her genes that made all the guys stare at her. And that was a problem, considering the fact that we didn't learn anything that way, and had to copy notes from the girls in order to get a moderate grade on our homework.  
  
Stop staring, I told myself. Think about Hermione. Think about how much prettier she is. You know how nice Hermione is. Madam Delacour is your teacher and you keep staring at her. That's sick! How can you like your teacher? Get a grip, Draco. Get a grip.  
  
Slowly, my eyes moved away from her. I started to focus on the board and noticed that I was really behind on my notes. I loaded up my quill pen with ink and started to copy down the notes about what the best opening spells are in a wizards duel.  
  
"Look, everybody!" Madam Delacour said, sounding pleased and astonished at the same time. "Look! Monsieur Malfoy 'as broken my charm. Zat is somzing very few men can do! Twenty points for Slyzarin."  
  
"Now you won back the twenty points that you lost in Herbology!" someone yelled at me from across the room. "Now Slytherin is in the lead again!"  
  
"Don't thank me," I muttered under my breath. "Thank Hermione."  
  
* * *  
  
During dinner, I kept looking over at the Gryffindor table and giving Hermione small smiles. She returned them each time I smiled at her, so I was almost positive she liked me, and wasn't playing with me earlier.  
  
After a while, Pansy, who was sitting next to me, put her head on my shoulder.  
  
"Pansy!" I cried, shocked. "What do you think you're doing?!" Unfortunately, I said that a little too loud, and got the attention of about half the people in the Great Hall.  
  
"You let me put my head on your shoulder two months ago," she said, sounding hurt.  
  
"Pansy, that was two months ago. Things have changed."  
  
"But you still love me, don't you?"  
  
"Uh," I said, at a loss for words. I couldn't tell her that I loved Hermione and not her. Not when everybody in the Great Hall, including the teachers, were listening to us.  
  
"I knew you did," she said, pleased. Then she drew me into a kiss. The Slytherins whooped and hollered. I practically gagged as she tried to force her tongue down my throat. I was so embarrassed and angry I slapped her face.  
  
"I DON'T LOVE YOU, PANSY!" I shouted, finding my voice at last.  
  
"B - but, Draco..." she said, tears glistening in her eyes. "I th - thought you d - did love me."  
  
"NO, PANSY, I DIDN'T."  
  
"W - why?"  
  
"BECAUSE YOU WANT ME FOR MY MONEY!"  
  
"W - what's the m - matter with th - that?" she asked, bursting into tears.  
  
"IT MEANS THAT YOU DON'T LOVE ME FOR WHO I AM!"  
  
"S - so," she chocked out through sobs. "You d - don't l - love m - me?"  
  
"NO, PANSY. I NEVER HAVE, I NEVER DID, I NEVER WILL. NEVER, EVER, EVER! OUR RELATIONSHIP IS FINISHED!" I yelled, my voice rising into a shriek. I blew Pansy a mock kiss and stormed out of the Great Hall.  
  
* * *  
  
I roamed the halls, going nowhere in particular and thinking about what just happened.  
  
This is lunacy, I told myself. I just broke up with my Slytherin girlfriend because I love a Gryffindor. And not just any Gryffindor, but that Mudblood Hermione Granger! That annoying, goody two - shoes who's...smart...beautiful...and a lot more tolerable than Pansy. Gee...I hope one of the Professors can suggest a good psychotherapist.  
  
"Draco..." I heard Hermione's voice calling. I turned around and saw her standing about twenty feet away from me. She ran towards me and grabbed my hand.  
  
"Come, Draco." she held my hand and led me up stairs and down corridors until we stopped in front of an all - too - familiar looking statue.  
  
"Dissendium," she said, putting her face close to the statue. The statue moved aside to reveal a room filled with white armchairs and couches. She pulled me inside and the statue moved back behind us.  
  
* * *  
  
Hermione started a fire in the fireplace then sat down on a couch. She patted the spot next to her. I came over and sat down, my heart beating so wildly I wondered if I was going to have a heart attack.  
  
We just sat there for a while in an awkward silence, wondering what to say.  
  
"So," said Hermione, trying to break the tension. "You broke up with Pansy."  
  
"Yeah," I said, not really knowing what to say.  
  
"Um..." she said. "Did you know that - "  
  
"Do you know how crazy this is?" I almost shouted, cutting her off. "This is insane! I mean, look at us. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor alone together not shuddering at the sight of each other. And not just any Gryffindor or Slytherin," I added quickly, "but rich, pureblood Slytherin, Draco Malfoy with top - of - the - class, muggle - born Gryffindor, Hermione Granger. It's not that I don't love you. I do, but I'm beginning to have second thoughts."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like, what Dumbledore would think. Or McGonagall. Or Snape." I shuddered at the thought of Snape going all - out ballistic on me.  
  
"Well," Hermione mused. "Dumbledore would probably think it was great that Gryffindors and Slytherins were finally getting along. I don't know about McGonagall, but Snape would expel me as soon as he found out."  
  
"Yeah...two people from two totally different backgrounds, who aren't even supposed to get along, like each other. Just like -"  
  
"Romeo and Juliet," she finished for me.  
  
"Yeah, exactly like them" I started to stroke her hair. I stood up. "Come, my fair Juliet. I must escort thee back to thine home."  
  
"But dear Romeo, if thou will escort me back, we might bump into someone we do not want to see when we are together."  
  
"That doth be true, fair Juliet. We must go our separate ways." I walked out of the tower and back to my common room without a backwards glance.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, as I was going to a double period of Transfiguration, Hermione came over and slipped a note into my bag. I decided to read the note while McGonagall was explaining the homework or something like that. She wouldn't notice.  
  
* * *  
  
In Transfiguration, when McGonagall was giving a review about how to hold your wand correctly while transfiguring something, I opened the note and read it.  
  
Dear Romeo, Meet me in the tower tonight after dinner. There's something very important that I have to ask you. love, Juliet P.S. Don't read this in Transfiguration class. McGonagall might confiscate it.  
  
I finished reading the note, and as if on cue, there was McGonagall standing behind my shoulder looking like a hippogriff that hadn't been approached correctly.  
  
"Give me the note, Malfoy," she said in a dangerous whisper.  
  
The whole class was listening now, trying to see what had happened. I handed over the note, knowing that she was going to read it in front of everyone. She straightened the note with a flourish, cleared her throat and read the note loudly, so that even the daydreamer in the back of the class could listen.  
  
"Well, Romeo," she said when she finished reading the note. "It seems like you have a very interesting love life." I could hear snickers from the class. "'Don't read this note in Transfiguration class. McGonagall might confiscate it.' My, my, my, she does seem to know me very well. She couldn't be a Gryffindor, could she?"  
  
My blood ran cold. How did McGonagall know about Hermione and me? I didn't know what to do, until I realized that the tone in her voice was a sarcastic one. I laughed along with the rest of the class, but I was worried.  
  
Why is McGonagall acting like this? I thought. Snape's the one who tortures his students, not her.  
  
"Five points from Slytherin for reading notes in class," said McGonagall, disturbing my thoughts. "Your homework is to write an essay about why it's important to not read notes in class. Your essay should be about two paragraphs long. Class dismissed."  
  
* * *  
  
When dinner was over, I made my way up to the tower and waited for Hermione. After a while she came in looking flustered, making her cheeks beautiful rosy color.  
  
"Sorry," she said, between pants. "Heldup - byron - camefast - asicould."  
  
"That's alright," I said, thinking about how beautiful she was even though she was bent over almost double, leaning against a chair and panting. "By the way, it would've been helpful if you told me not to read the note before I went to Transfiguration class, and not when I had finished reading the note in Transfiguration class."  
  
"How'dyouthink - Iwas'pos't - t'know?" she asked me with an irritable look, still gasping.  
  
"So," I said, changing the subject. "What did you want to ask me?"  
  
"Oh yeah," she said. She took a few more deep breaths, combed back her hair with her fingers, sat down on the couch beside me and looked me straight in the eyes.  
  
"Draco," she said. "Will you...um...lesse...how can I say this without sounding like an idiot? I can't! O.K....um...do you think you can...um...I mean...do you want to...um..."  
  
"Start a relationship?" I asked, saying the first thing that popped into my head.  
  
She nodded, blushing madly and smiling so widely, I suddenly understood what they meant by the phrase 'smiling from ear to ear.'  
  
I put my arm around her shoulders. "I would love to," I replied. I kissed her hand.  
  
"But we would have to keep it a secret," she said, turning back into the know - it - all Hermione that I was more familiar with.  
  
"O.K., now that was really obvious," I said in the drawl that I reserved for Harry and company.  
  
"You sound just like the Draco I knew," she giggled.  
  
"Well, what about you? You're also sounding like your old self." I made my voice a lot higher and in a clipped tone said, "But we would have to keep it a secret. Who knows how many house points we could loose? Will I get expelled for liking a Slytherin? What will I do if they expel me? Wait a minute, they can't expel me! I even read in Hogwarts, a History that it says in the Hogwarts book of Rules that you can't get expelled for liking someone in the wrong house! And anyway, I'm-"  
  
"Well, what about you?" she asked, playfully punching my arm as I burst into a fit of laughter. She started strutting around the tower and in a drawl said, "Potter, the Dementors are coming so you'd better watch out. You don't want another incident like the one you had on the train, do you?" She imitated me imitating Harry having a swooning fit and fell on the couch laughing furiously.  
  
I checked my watch. It was 7:45.  
  
"I gotta go," I said quickly. "I'm late for Quidditch practice."  
  
"Well, goodbye, then," Hermione quickly gave me a peck on the cheek.  
  
"G - g - goodbye," I stuttered, my face getting hot. I went out of the tower and down to the grounds for Quidditch practice.  
  
* * *  
  
It was five days until Christmas. I kept wondering what I should get Hermione. I had spent every weekend looking through the shops in Hogsmeade to see if I could find something that Hermione might like. I even put my name on the list for people staying at Hogwarts over the break so I could have more time to look.  
  
Then, with two days until Christmas, I found the perfect thing. There was a jewelry shop that had recently opened not so far from the Three Broomsticks. I found the best thing for Hermione there; a ring with a gold band encrusted with four jewels; a ruby, a topaz, a sapphire, and an emerald. The jewels reminded me of the colors of the four houses. I knew I had to get it for her, so I did.  
  
The saleslady put it in a velvet box, wrapped it up nicely in wrapping paper and finished it off with a gold bow.  
  
* * *  
  
Christmas dinner was a nice affair with the professors and various students (including Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys), sitting around a single table. Ron and Harry seemed to be friends again.  
  
I had a hard time eating my dinner because I was so excited. I wanted it to be Christmas morning now so I could give Hermione the ring.  
  
Before I left to go to sleep, I whispered in Hermione's ear to meet me tomorrow in the tower around three in the afternoon.  
  
* * *  
  
Christmas afternoon, I was in the tower pacing back and forth, back and forth, wondering when Hermione was going to come. I knew that I was being a little unrealistic for being there at 2:30, but I was so nervous and anyway, there wasn't much else to do in the castle considering the fact that Crabbe and Goyle left and it would be sort of a stupid idea to try and start up a conversation with the Weasleys or Harry.  
  
I sat down on the couch, but I couldn't sit still. I started to bounce in my seat. I thought that it was pretty fun, so I kept bouncing. I bounced higher and higher. I took off my shoes and jumped up and down on the couch, going "wee" every time I jumped up. Sometimes when I jumped up, I would flap my arms like a bird or twirl around and do belly flops. I felt like I was five years old again...until Hermione walked in. Then I felt like an idiot.  
  
"Um, hi, Hermione," I said, not really knowing what to say and wondering what she was thinking about me. I bent down and busied myself with putting my shoes on so I could hide my embarrassed face from her heavenly one.  
  
"Was I interrupting a private moment?" she asked in a voice that was wondering weather to laugh or not.  
  
"No," I replied, standing up. "I was just getting bored of waiting for you and I started to bounce on the couch and I thought that was fun so..."  
  
"I get the picture. I got you something."  
  
"Really? For me? For Christmas?"  
  
"No, for Crabbe and Goyle. Yes for you! Here. Merry Christmas!"  
  
I took the small package and quickly tore off the wrapping paper. When I saw what it was, I laughed. It was Romeo and Juliet.  
  
"Here," I said. "I got something for you, too." I took the beautifully wrapped box out of my pocket. I saw her eyes grow wide as I gave it to her. She just held it in her hands looking at it in awe, but not opening it.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" I asked her excitedly. "Open it!" She very carefully untied the bow. Then, with trembling fingers she slowly and carefully took off the wrapping paper. She gasped as she opened the box and saw the ring's jewels glint in the firelight.  
  
"Oh my God. I really don't know what to say," she stammered.  
  
"It's not an engagement ring." I have no idea why I said that. Like I would want to marry her. After all, I was only sixteen.  
  
"Thank you, Draco. Thank you so much! It's beautiful!" She put it on her finger and drew me into a kiss.  
  
Look Ron, I thought as I kissed Hermione. Hermione and I had a relationship going ever since about the beginning of the month. She's my girlfriend now, and we love each other. What are you going to do about it, huh?  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, Hermione came up to me looking worried. She kept twirling the ring around on her finger and avoided my eyes.  
  
"Draco, I have to tell you something really important," she sounded like she didn't want to tell me what she was going to. "It's been on my mind ever since we started dating."  
  
"What?" I asked, fearing the worst.  
  
"I can't tell you here. Meet me in the tower after lunch." Hermione walked off in a half - daze, leaving me wondering what happened.  
  
* * *  
  
After lunch I was waiting in the tower with Hermione. I asked her when we could begin. She told me that we were waiting for one more person. Ron came in. I looked at him and was positive that Hermione was going to tell me that she was going to dump me for him. Ron gave me a nasty look and sat down in an armchair as far away from me as possible. Hermione stood up and started pacing in front of us. "There's something important that's been on my mind for a long time," Hermione said nervously. "Ever since the beginning of the month." Ron and I gave each other a look. Hermione looked down and started to nervously twirl the ring around on her finger.  
  
"I've, I've, I've," she took a swallow, a shaky breath and continued. "I've been two - timing you two." Anger pulsed through me. How could she. How DARE she.  
  
"It's not because I want to be one of those girls who always struts around followed by her millions of boyfriends, but because I love you both."  
  
"HA!" said Ron, making me jump. "Why should I believe you? Hermione, it's so obvious that you think that collecting boys is as easy as raking in fall leaves."  
  
"No, Ron - " Hermione tried to defend herself.  
  
"You know, I didn't give you the ring for this," I said, cutting her off.  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Ron said, getting up out of his chair. "Hermione, he GAVE you a RING?! Like, an ENGAGEMENT ring?!"  
  
"No," I said. "Like a you're - my - girlfriend kinda ring, which she DOESN'T DESERVE!!!!!" I went over to her and held out my hand. "Give me the ring, Hermione."  
  
"You know, Draco, we could've worked this out. It doesn't have to end like this."  
  
"Two - timings never work out. Now give me the ring."  
  
"But - "  
  
"LOOK YOU MUDBLOOD, JUST GIVE ME BACK THE RING!" I yelled, getting annoyed. Hermione reluctantly took the ring in her finger and placed it in my hand. I quickly closed my hand around the ring and briskly walked out of the tower.  
  
* * *  
  
I was so upset, I started to wander around the castle in a daze. I kept wondering to myself how she could have done this.  
  
Good going, Draco, I thought to myself. Heartbroken twice by the same girl. Really smart.  
  
I wanted to throw the ring away, but I couldn't. It was a beautiful piece of jewelry and besides, it cost a lot of money, and I didn't think that all those galleons should just go down the drain.  
  
I almost collided into a younger girl who I had never seen before, going in the opposite direction.  
  
"Here," I said to her, my voice to getting choked with tears. "Take it." I held out the ring to her.  
  
"I don't know," she said. Tears started to run down my face.  
  
"TAKE IT!" I cried, thrusting the ring into her hand. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE IT ANYMORE!" Then I ran, sobbing, in the direction of Slytherin. 


	3. Bye, Bye, Love

It had been a week since I dumped Hermione, and I had become a complete mess; crying myself to sleep every night, finding the idea of school completely pointless, not doing my vacation homework, spending the rest of Christmas vacation wandering the halls mumbling to myself, and seriously considering the idea of suicide.  
  
I know that sounds really stupid, but after Hermione broke my heart for the second time, I couldn't find a reason to live. Knives, ropes, long staircases, and high windows seemed more tempting than usual. The whole idea of life just seemed pointless.  
  
* * *  
  
I was in Charms class, the first day back after Christmas break. I couldn't pay attention because I was still getting over Hermione. It felt like I had a wound that would never heal. I always thought about her, and because of that, it was hard to focus on daily life. I would just sit there, feeling sorry for myself while I would play the moment she said she was two-timing me and it's aftermath over and over again in my head. Then I would get even more depressed and would start thinking about suicide.  
  
Professor Flitwick was teaching us a charm for killing roaches and other small pests. As I was trying to kill my beetle, which was scurrying around the desk, I wondered if the charm was strong enough to be effective on humans. I thought it wouldn't be so bad to have my mess of a life to end right now, so I pointed my wand at myself and said the words for the charm. There was a flash, and I blacked out.  
  
I awoke to someone slapping my face. Goyle was standing over me slapping my face again and again. Professor Flitwick pushed through the crowd that had gathered around Goyle and me and asked what had happened. I knew if I told him I was trying to commit suicide, I would probably be sent to have a heart-to-heart with either Snape or my father, which I didn't want, so I told him my wand backfired.  
  
Since Professor Flitwick didn't want another accident to happen, he had us start on our homework and work on it till class finished.  
  
* * *  
  
When I was going down to lunch, I was trying to catch up with Crabbe and Goyle but they were running ahead of me. The books in my bag spilled. I was reminded of the time when I first kissed Hermione and I got hit with a huge wave of depression.  
  
I sat there, with my face in my hands, half expecting Hermione to help me pick up my books. But she didn't come, so I picked up my books myself and slowly trudged into the Great Hall.  
  
* * *  
  
Sitting down at lunch, I found I couldn't eat my food. I just didn't have an appetite, even though we were being served beef stew, which was my favorite. I sat there, looking at my food and not even trying to touch it.  
  
"C'mon, Draco," Pansy said sweetly. "Eat your food." I looked up at Pansy, who was sitting next to me, and smiling at me with an overly - sweet smile.  
  
"I'm not hungry," I said quickly.  
  
"But you have to eat something."  
  
"I'm not hungry," I repeated through clenched teeth.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Just one little forkful?"  
  
"Is there anything I can do to get rid of you?"  
  
"Hmmmm...let me think...no!" she then gave an annoying, high - pitched giggle.  
  
This is like being in a cage, I thought. Trapped, with no key to escape.  
  
"Pansy," I said in a voice that I used when I thought people were stupid. "Are you aware of the fact that I broke up with you?"  
  
She nodded, eyes wide, as if she was full of understanding.  
  
"Then why don't you leave me alone," I said, still in the same voice. She didn't say anything.  
  
I had a feeling that I wasn't going to get anywhere with her, so I walked out of the Great Hall and down to the greenhouses.  
  
* * *  
  
In Herbology, we were still working with Ikterious seeds. I was very careful not to drop them this time as we squeezed a light blue juice from them that smelled like rotting meat.  
  
Remembering what Professor Sprout's warning about the seeds being poisonous unless they were properly boiled, I was thinking of eating one and letting myself get killed, but decided against it. One suicidal attempt was enough for the day. And anyway, I wasn't sure if I could talk myself out of this one if I was still alive after eating it. Not that I wanted to...  
  
* * *  
  
After dinner that night, I was lying on my bed with my homework and schoolbooks scattered around me. I didn't feel like doing my homework, so I lay there on my stomach, my chin painfully cutting into my arm, where it was resting.  
  
I closed the curtains around my bed and took out my journal, which was never written in before. I muttered lumos and my wand lit up, giving me enough light to see so I could write down my thoughts.  
  
I loaded up my quill with ink and started to write:  
  
Ways of committing suicide  
  
-drowning -jumping out a high window -avada kedavra -slitting wrist/throat/etc. -hanging -severely fracturing skull  
  
I looked over my list, only half believing that I wrote that, wondering how I could be so depressed and pathetic at the same time. I put blotter on my page, and waited for it to dry. I quickly stuck my journal under my pillow, not wanting anyone to see it.  
  
I heard footsteps and pulled open the curtains. Goyle was coming into the dormitory.  
  
"Hi, Draco," he said.  
  
I nodded my head, looking down at my empty parchment that was supposed to have an essay about the werewolf convention written on it.  
  
"We're having a party in the common room," he continued. "Do you want to come?"  
  
"No, thanks," I said, not really allowing his words to sink in.  
  
"Are you sure? They're going to have that muggle equipment that plays songs."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Well, it's your choice...." Yeah, like that was going to get me to come. Goyle must have realized that he wasn't going to get much else from me, so he left for the common room.  
  
After staring at all the books and blank rolls of parchment on my bed, I rolled over on my back and stared at the underside of the bed's canopy. I rolled back over on my stomach and continued to stare at the parchment.  
  
It was funny how menacing the empty parchment was. I knew it was only a sheet of parchment that was supposed to have writing on it, but as I looked at it I could see the stern face of McGonagall, the sly face of Snape, the round face of Sprout, the mysterious face of Trelawney, the unsure and troubled face of Hagrid, the emotionless and transparent face of Binns, the small face of Flitwick, and the radiant, seductive face of Madame Delacour. Even though they weren't talking, I could tell that they demanded to know why my homework wasn't being done.  
  
"Pss, homework," I said, knocking all of my books and parchment off the bed and onto the floor with one sweep of my arm. I looked down to the mess on the floor and saw that one of my ink bottles had smashed and the ink was spreading on the parchment.  
  
Smashed ink bottle, I thought. Fight with Harry. Quill pen in his scar. Hospital wing. Sneaking out to tell Hermione how much I love her. Hermione telling me she's Ron's girlfriend. Hermione fooling me saying she broke up with Ron. Hermione dating me. Giving Hermione the ring. Realizing Hermione tricked me all this time. Hermione, Hermione, Hermione.... Everything leads to Hermione. It's because of Hermione that I'm like this. Weak, sad, pathetic.  
  
I could hear noise from the party in the common room. The babble of talk, laughter, and music reached my ears. I had half a mind to join the party until I heard the lyrics of the music.  
  
"Bye - bye, love, Bye - bye, happiness, Hello, loneliness, I feel like I'm gonna cry - ie. Bye - bye, love, Bye - bye, sweet caress, Hello, loneliness, I think I'm gonna die - ie. Bye - bye, my love, good - bye - ie"  
  
After I heard the music, I didn't feel like going down to the party. I was too depressed. The song reminded me of all that happened and everything I felt. I curled up into a ball on my bed, and silently cried myself to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
I woke up in the middle of the night still in my clothes, because I hadn't bothered to undress before I went to bed.  
  
I lay in bed, trying to fall asleep again, but I couldn't. I felt sort of dizzy, but I guess that's what you get when you fall asleep at around 7:30 and wake up at some unearthly hour.  
  
I looked around me, to see what happened to my books and parchment. I saw them stacked in a pile on my bedside table. I figured that one of the house - elves put them there.  
  
I crossed the room and looked out the window. It was pitch black outside. I could barely see anything, until it came. The sun. I saw the sky turn pink as the sun rose. Just a little bit of it showed at first, then more and more of it came up, illuminating the land. Then, the sky turned blue. It was the most beautiful thing I had seen in my life.  
  
"Amazing, isn't it?" someone behind me said, making me jump. I turned around and saw Goyle looking at the sun, which was now in the sky, with a look of awe on his face.  
  
I nodded, looking back to the sunrise.  
  
"Every morning I wake up to see the sunrise," he continued. "It always strikes me how beautiful it is. There's something about it that's so...so...I can't describe it, but it's so...that.  
  
* * *  
  
I was in my first class of the day, Arithmancy, and I started to feel guilty about not doing my homework. I mentally cursed myself for being so stupid and hard - headed, then tried to comb my brain for a reasonable excuse to give to Professor Vector. Then I remembered: Professor Vector didn't give us any homework. Well, that left Slytherin with some house points to spare.  
  
I spent the rest of class in a deep, depressed stupor. The sunrise had driven it away, but now, back in class with Hermione sitting a few rows in front of me, the depression came back in sort of an explosion.  
  
* * *  
  
When I open my eyes, it will be Saturday, I thought in vain. I was now in Transfiguration class and McGonagall was going around collecting the homework. Again, that feeling of guilt came back to me. I was mad at myself for being so pathetic. Father was right; I would make a poor excuse for a Death Eater. But then again, he never paid enough attention to me to actually know if I was or not.  
  
"A - hem!" the sound of McGonagall clearing her throat made me jump. I opened my eyes and looked up at her standing over me with a stern look on her face.  
  
The lioness lies in wait, I thought. Hoping to sink her teeth into the snake lying in the grass. But the snake won't give up the fight that easily.  
  
"Where is your homework, Malfoy?" she asked.  
  
The lioness slowly creeps closer to the snake, who is unaware of how much longer it will be alive.  
  
"I didn't do it, Professor," I mumbled. I could see her nostrils flare.  
  
The lioness is crouching, ready to pounce. The snake let it's guard down; it's looking the other way.  
  
"Ten points from Slytherin. You will make it up tonight." She walked briskly back to her desk.  
  
The lioness pounced. She is walking back to the pride with the dead snake clutched between her jaws. She then eats it, tearing the snake's flesh off its bones with her powerful jaws.  
  
* * *  
  
Saturday was finally here. I sat on my bed, depressed (as usual), while almost everybody else was out shopping in Hogsmeade.  
  
I thought about committing suicide again. I had the perfect setting; the teachers were out, I had a penknife in my trunk, and there was no one to stop me.  
  
I went over to my trunk and started digging around in it, trying to find my penknife. I found it under one of my schoolbooks. I took it out and examined the handle that looked like a snake with emerald eyes. I wondered how to kill myself with the knife.  
  
Stab myself in the heart? I thought. No, too messy. Slit my throat? No, too painful. I guess I'll slit my wrist.  
  
I held out my wrist and drew the knife across it. I watched painfully as blood oozed from the cut. I wished for something a little more dramatic, but I guess it was a little too late for that.  
  
"Draco, what are you doing?" I looked around in surprise as Goyle stood in front of me with a shocked expression on his face.  
  
"N - nothing," I stammered as I tried to hide my bleeding wrist without messing up my robes or sheets.  
  
"Look," he said. "I've known you long enough to see that something hasn't been right lately."  
  
"You've - you've noticed?" I mentally slapped myself for saying that. I was not supposed to say that. Now he would be even more suspicious.  
  
"Yeah. Since after our first Quidditch game of the year, you didn't seem to want to tease Harry or Hermione. You refused to call Hermione a Mudblood, remember? That's when I thought something was up. Then after Christmas, you got into a state of depression, which hasn't left you yet."  
  
I was shocked. I never knew Goyle was that smart.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked him. He was rummaging through his trunk.  
  
"Here," he said. He was holding a roll of bandages in his hands.  
  
"What's that for?"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "You don't want to go to the hospital wing and have the whole school know about this soon, do you?"  
  
"No," but I was really thinking, Dang. One of my easiest ways out is blocked. Maybe I'll jump out of the window now.  
  
He tied the bandage around my wrist and it stopped bleeding.  
  
"Thanks," I said. I got up and started to walk past Goyle and out of the dorm room.  
  
"Where are you going?" Goyle asked me.  
  
"Out."  
  
He got up and blocked the doorway.  
  
"Oh, no. You're just going to try to kill yourself some other way."  
  
"So? Does anyone care?"  
  
"But you have a lot to live for, don't you?"  
  
"What do you mean, 'But you have a lot to live for?' Look at me. Does it look like I have anything to live for to you?"  
  
"Well - "  
  
"NO!! I'M ONLY SIXTEEN AND I'VE HAD BODYGUARDS SINCE I WAS ELEVEN! AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE A LIFE - THREATENING JOB! HECK, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A JOB AT ALL! THAT'S SICK! THAT'S PATHETIC! I'M AN INSECURE FREAK! I'M SO PATHETIC I CAN'T EVEN GET THE GIRL I LOVE TO LIKE ME BACK!! GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON NOT TO KILL MYSELF. JUST ONE."  
  
"Um, well..."  
  
"SEE! YOU CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING! I TOLD YOU I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR!" I ran under Goyle's outstretched arm and out of Slytherin with him screaming behind me, telling me that he was still thinking.  
  
* * *  
  
I ran across the second floor, to a window overlooking the lake. I looked out the window and noticed that it wasn't the biggest drop in the world. I thought about going up to the seventh floor and jumping out a window from there, but then I realized that I didn't want my guts splattered all over the grounds. The second floor would do.  
  
I got up on the windowsill and admired the view. It's nice to look at something comforting before you do something daring. I saw Hagrid taking a walk near the castle. It was sort of funny how everything was so perfect and that I knew in a few seconds it wouldn't be.  
  
I spread my arms and jumped. The feeling was so exhilarating, I didn't want to hit the ground. I felt a little like I was flying. I expected to hit the ground at any second, except that I didn't. Hagrid caught me and we both fell to the ground.  
  
"Malfoy!" he said with surprise. "What do yeh think yer doin'?"  
  
"Trying to get away from my miseries," I said, liking how poetic I sounded.  
  
Hagrid got up, holding me in his arms like a baby.  
  
"Do yeh want ter come ter my place an' talk abou' this over a cup o' tea?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
Hagrid walked over to his house holding me in his arms. I knew he was only doing this to be polite, but I felt well protected in his massive arms.  
  
* * *  
  
In his house, he put me down in a chair while he hurriedly fixed the tea. I looked around at my surroundings. I liked that Hagrid's house was so cozy and welcoming. Of course I never told this to anyone because if I did, I would be teased to no end.  
  
Hagrid put a cup of steaming tea and a plate of scones in front of me. I awkwardly sniffed the tea, wondering if he put something in it, for I knew very well that he detested me.  
  
"What are yeh sniffin' yer tea fer? Yeh think I'm gon' poison yeh?" I gave an embarrassed shrug and took a sip of the tea. It tasted fine.  
  
"Thanks for saving my life, Hagrid."  
  
"Yer welcome. I hope ye'll excuse me fer pryin' but, why'd you jump out the window?"  
  
I could feel tears well up in my eyes. "Love gone wrong."  
  
"Did she dump yeh?" I shook my head.  
  
"Yeh dumped her?"  
  
"Sort of."  
  
"Sort of?"  
  
"I dumped her because she two-timed me."  
  
"Yeh mind telling me the story?"  
  
It was as if a dam that held all the pain, sorrow and anger that I kept hidden ever since the breakup, broke. Tears started to stream down my face.  
  
"I was in love with the wrong girl," I sobbed. "I knew it all the time. She wasn't the wrong girl because she didn't fit my personality. She did, but she was from the wrong house. We both knew it and had to keep it a secret. But that was really hard because you never know who's watching you here at Hogwarts. She told me she broke up with her boyfriend. Then we start dating and I get her a ring and we meet in a secret spot and I find out that she never actually did break up with her boyfriend, so all this time she was two-timing us and I broke up with her and got driven into a state of deep depression and tried to commit suicide three times." I started to cry louder.  
  
Hagrid held me on his lap and rocked me back and forth, back and forth. After a few minutes he asked me what house she was in. I was crying so much I couldn't tell him.  
  
"Hufflepuff?" he asked. I shook my head.  
  
"Ravenclaw?" I shook my head again.  
  
"Gryffindor?" he asked in a skeptic tone. I nodded my head and cried even louder.  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
"Her - Her - Her - " I choked out through my tears.  
  
"Hermione? Yeh were in love with Hermione?" I nodded, my body shaking from all the crying.  
  
He looked shocked at the thought, I could tell. I knew what he was thinking.  
  
What would Hermione find in Draco? How could she even think of dating that disgusting Slytherin?  
  
"Yeh must o' really been in love with each other to take that kind o' a risk," he mused.  
  
"We were," I managed to say through my tears. "We were so in love. Then it had to go downhill like this..."  
  
"Who was she two-timing yeh with?"  
  
"Ron."  
  
"That's gotta cut you real deep," he said, pouring me another cup of tea. "To have your girl date someone else at the same time." I nodded.  
  
There was a knock at the door. Hagrid put me down off his lap and went to answer it. I quickly wiped away my tears, only causing more to come out.  
  
Hagrid opened the door and saw Snape standing there.  
  
"Hello, Hagrid," Snape said in that way that gave you the impression you were in trouble. "May I borrow Malfoy for a moment?"  
  
I hate the way that teachers say that they have to "borrow you for a moment" as if you're some household thing. "Hello, Hagrid. May I borrow your feather duster a.k.a. Malfoy for a moment?" I mean, we have feelings too, you know.  
  
"Yeh can borrow Malfoy for a moment."  
  
"Come with me, Malfoy." Snape walked briskly out of Hagrid's hut. I followed him.  
  
"Where are we going?" I asked him.  
  
"My office," he replied. I had a strange feeling about this.  
  
* * *  
  
In his office, he sat down behind his desk and pointed to a chair in front of it. I sat down in the chair.  
  
"Now," he said. "I saw you - er - jump out the window and I want to know why you did that."  
  
I squirmed in my chair. For some reason I found it a lot easier to tell Hagrid than to tell Snape. Maybe it was because of the fact that Snape reminded you of a deadly cobra and Hagrid, your teddy bear. Or maybe it was because Hagrid was asking so you could feel better, while Snape was demanding.  
  
"Professor Snape," I asked him. "Have you ever been in love?"  
  
"Does that matter?" I could see him getting flustered and I think his cheeks turned slightly pink.  
  
"I'm not talking about the rumors between you and McGonagall. I actually want to know." when I said that sentence, it felt like I was the teacher and he, the student.  
  
"That's irrelevant." he said with a tone of annoyance.  
  
"No it's not, Professor. Because if you were, you would understand what I'm going through."  
  
"Malfoy, stop acting like you're the professor."  
  
"I'm not trying to. I just want to know if you have or not."  
  
"THAT DOESN'T MATTER!"  
  
"Woah, Snape. Since when did you start yelling?"  
  
"SINCE NOW! WHEN YOU'VE BEEN PESTERING ME WITH THAT ANNOYING QUESTION!"  
  
"Well, now you know what it's like to have a heart-to-heart with your teacher."  
  
"DON'T YOU TRY TO GET SMART WITH ME, MALFOY!"  
  
"I think I already have."  
  
Snape came from behind his desk and slapped my face with the back of his hand. Tears jumped into my eyes.  
  
"Twenty points from Slytherin," he said in a whisper. "For acting like such an imbecile."  
  
"Fine," I said, trying hard not to cry. "But all I did was ask a simple question."  
  
I left the office in a huff, taking good care to slam the door when I left.  
  
* * *  
  
I walked towards my common room, tears threatening to spill over. I managed to hold it back for a while, but then they just came flooding out.  
  
I sank to the floor, heaving and sobbing. Not for what just happened now, but for everything that happened until now; for my miserable life, for my unsuccessful love, and for my foolishness.  
  
Someone handed me a handkerchief. I couldn't see their face, but I was grateful just the same.  
  
I cried into the handkerchief. Whoever was there didn't leave my side. It was sort of comforting and embarrassing at the same time.  
  
"Thanks," I said, holding out the handkerchief when I was done. I still couldn't see the person's face.  
  
"You're welcome," came the reply in Hermione's voice.  
  
I looked up and saw her. I was shocked. I couldn't talk. She hadn't spoken to me since the day after Christmas. I stood up.  
  
"You" I said angrily, throwing the handkerchief in her face. "Are the cause of all my pain and sadness. I will get my revenge, starting tomorrow."  
  
* * *  
  
At breakfast the next day, I looked over at the Gryffindor table while the owls came flying in with the morning mail. I glanced slyly as I saw an owl drop a bright red envelope in Hermione's lap. She looked terrified as she slowly slit open the envelope. Then came my voice, about a thousand times louder than usual.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU TOY WITH MY AFFECTIONS!" the howler screamed in my voice. Everybody looked around to see who was the unlucky one, and realized with shock that it was Hermione.  
  
Those who recognized my voice were looking at me with their mouths open. Everybody else was looking at Hermione.  
  
"WE COMPARED EACH OTHER TO ROMEO AND JULIET, REMEMBER? YOU, A GRYFFINDOR AND ME, A SLYTHERIN. TWO PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO LIKE EACH OTHER WERE IN LOVE." A hush fell over the room as everyone wanted to know about Hermione and her mysterious Slytherin lover.  
  
"BUT HOW CAN YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO JULIET WHEN YOU DIDN'T DO WHAT SHE DID? DON'T YOU REMEMBER? IN THE STORY, JULIET PRETENDS TO BE DEAD SO SHE CAN BE FOREVER FAITHFUL TO ROMEO. I DON'T REMEMBER YOU DOING THAT. IN FACT, I REMEMBER YOU TWO-TIMING ME." I could see tears welling up in her eyes. Whether from embarrassment, anger or sadness, I couldn't tell.  
  
"BUT AS ROMEO, I PLAYED MY PART TO THE TEE. ROMEO KILLS HIMSELF BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT JULIET IS DEAD. AND BY COINCIDENCE, AFTER YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE TWO-TIMING ME, I BECAME A SUICIDAL FREAK, THINKING THAT DEATH WAS THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS. AND NOW HERMIONE, I WILL SPILL THE BEANS ON YOU IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL. ARE YOU READY?" There was much loud hooting and hollering from the Slytherin table, and everybody perked up their ears to hear Hermione made a disgrace of in front of the whole school.  
  
"LISTEN CLOSELY, EVERYBODY AS HERMIONE GRANGER IS GOING TO BECOME A DISGRACE. IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T GUESSED ALREADY, HER SLYTHERIN LOVER WAS DRACO MALFOY." This produced a lot of jeering and booing.  
  
"THE PERSON SHE TWO-TIMED DRACO WITH WAS RON WEASLEY. MAYBE THIS WOULDN'T BE SO BAD EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT HERMIONE TOLD YOURS TRULY SHE BROKE UP WITH RON WHEN SHE NEVER DID. HERMIONE AND I WERE DATING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER. AND THEN, THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, SHE BOTHERS TO TELL ME THAT I WAS TWO-TIMED ALL THIS TIME. I BECOME HEARTBROKEN AND TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE THREE TIMES."  
  
Then the howler burst into flames as the whole school laughed, jeered, and booed. I felt particularly like my old haughty self again. I smirked as I saw Ron stand up with a look of pure fury on his face.  
  
"Malfoy," Ron said gripping the table so hard I could see his knuckles turn white. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"Well, Weasel," I said in my old drawl. "Hermione broke my heart very unfairly and I thought the school would like to know."  
  
"But look at her!" Ron screamed, pointing to Hermione who had put her face in her hands and was sobbing. "Is that what a real man does?"  
  
"One question; are you still going out with her, Weasel?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Yes? After she two-timed you with a Slytherin? Is that what a real man does?"  
  
"You wanna fight, Malfoy? Let's fight; and determine who the real man is."  
  
"Gladly."  
  
We got up from our chairs and walked to the center of the Great Hall. I whipped out my wand but Ron just smiled at me.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah, Malfoy" he said, shaking his finger. "Fistfight. That's how real men do it."  
  
"If you say so," I put my wand away.  
  
"Boys!" Professor McGonagall said, making us snap to attention. "I won't have another fight between you this year. You've already had two, and that's enough."  
  
"Three's a magic number," I heard Ron say as he jumped on my back and pinned me down to the floor.  
  
It was a cascade of punches and kicks that came flying out of nowhere until Harry came along.  
  
"Break it up, break it up," he said as tried to force us apart.  
  
"You keep out of this," I told him. "Or I'll stick a quill pen in your forehead again." That shut him up.  
  
Ron jumped on my back again and resumed to punching me. I managed to put him in a head lock and punched his face.  
  
"Stop it, stop it!" Dumbledore said, coming towards us. We didn't stop.  
  
He pointed his wand at us. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted and we got blasted backwards and flew to opposite sides of the Great Hall.  
  
As I got up, I saw that Ron had a scratched face. I could taste blood, and figured I had a cut lip.  
  
"One hundred and fifty points each from your houses!" Dumbledore said sternly. "And a conversation with you and your parents in my office tomorrow after class."  
  
Uh - oh, I thought. Something tells me that this is not going to be good.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day after classes, Dumbledore was waiting for Ron and me in the Entrance Hall. We followed him up to his office, where my parents and the Weasleys were sitting in chairs and I suddenly understood the phrase, "if looks could kill." I felt like I was stepping into a war zone.  
  
"Now," said Dumbledore sitting himself behind his desk and not paying attention to the death stares between families. "I would like to inform you what happened."  
  
"We know what happened, Dumbledore," Father said in a voice that made chills run up and down my spine.  
  
"Lucius," Dumbledore said in a calm voice. "Do you know the background story?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Tell them, Draco."  
  
"Yes, sir," I said meekly, knowing that after I finished my story I was as good as dead.  
  
"I was in love with Hermione," I began. I could see Father tense up. "She told me she broke up with Ron. We started dating. Then, the day after Christmas she held a meeting with me and Ron and told us that she was two-timing us. I became a suicidal maniac and tried three times to kill myself. Yesterday I sent her a howler. It explained the whole story and made her a disgrace. Ron stuck up for her and we got into a fight."  
  
"WHAT?!" Father yelled. I could tell that he was appalled at the idea of a Malfoy dating someone who wasn't a pureblood. "I don't believe you, Draco." He stood up.  
  
Whoop - de - do, I thought. Here comes the parent lecture.  
  
"You've disgraced the family name!" he continued. "That's just not what Malfoys do! They don't get in relationships with Mudbloods! I wouldn't have minded if you got in a relationship with a normal Gryffindor - "  
  
"That's not true," I said, talking slowly and making sure that everybody who was listening got every word. "You know perfectly well if I dated Ginny you would be acting the same way." I could see everybody in the office tense up. I secretly smiled, knowing I had touched a nerve in both families.  
  
"Don't you insult Ginny," Ron said.  
  
"Like I would actually want to date her? I was using her as an example, Weasel." I snapped.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"You first."  
  
"Eat dung."  
  
"Boys!" Dumbledore said. "Stop it."  
  
"A Mudblood," Father moaned. "You dated a Mudblood. I'll be the laughing stock of the Ministry, and you'll be the cause of it. When you get home for Easter - "  
  
"Lucius!" Mother snapped. That was rare, because she lets Father have the floor all the time.  
  
"Not now, Narcissa," he snapped back.  
  
"Lucius!"  
  
"Not now, Narcissa" he repeated through clenched teeth.  
  
"Lucius!"  
  
"What, Narcissa?"  
  
"Lucius, don't be so hard on him. He's heartbroken. Can't you see?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Narcissa. He was in a relationship with a Mudblood. That kind of behavior is not acceptable - "  
  
"I don't think so, Lucius," Ron's father said. "I think it's about time someone in your family looked past the family background to see what kind of a person Hermione is."  
  
"I agree," Dumbledore said. "The Malfoys have always been a little behind the times. I'm glad that one of them opened their eyes to the world and left behind prejudice."  
  
Father just stood there with his mouth open. It was the first time that I could remember him without anything to say.  
  
"Well, Lucius," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I hope you see that there's no harm in dating someone with a different background. This meeting is over."  
  
"Fine," Father said as he pulled on his cloak. "But remember boy, Easter holiday. Come, Narcissa."  
  
"Don't worry," Mother whispered to me as she followed Father out of the office. "I won't let him hurt you."  
  
"Well, Draco," Ron's father held out his hand to me. "I'm glad that there's one Malfoy who makes sense." We shook hands, but I still had a grudge against them something vicious.  
  
* * *  
  
After the meeting, I went to the Slytherin dorms. I pulled out my homework and started working on it when I heard a tap at the window. I looked up, and saw an owl with a letter tied to it's leg. I opened the window and the owl flew in, landed on my arm and held out it's leg to me. I took the letter off it's leg and it sat on my bed, waiting for me to respond.  
  
I closed the window and opened the letter. I recognized Hermione's handwriting. I opened it up. It said:  
  
Dear Draco, I'm sorry about the two-timing. I was in love with you so badly. I knew that everyone else would think I was being ridiculous, so I used Ron as a cover. But then I realized that I was in love with him, too. Though not on the same level as you and me. I know I should have told you sooner, but I couldn't find the time because Ron was always breathing down my neck. I'm really, really sorry.  
  
Hermione  
  
After I read the letter, I didn't know how to reply. I wanted to tell her that it was fine, that I understood. But the truth was, I didn't. I took out my quill pen and loaded it up with ink. I was thinking of something halfway decent to say, but Father's words were burning into my thoughts.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"He was in a relationship with a Mudblood. That kind of behavior is not acceptable - "  
  
"But remember boy, Easter holiday - "  
  
"I'll be the laughing stock of the Ministry and you'll be the cause of it - "  
  
I put the tip of the pen to the paper and angrily scribbled out:  
  
Forget it, Hermione. It's back to the old Draco now.  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, everything was different. I looked at the Gryffindor table during breakfast and I felt a strong desire to snap the necks of everyone sitting there, just like I used to. It was like falling in love with Hermione was just a dream, a really long dream and I had waken up from it. I actually was expecting Crabbe or Goyle to tell me that I had been saying weird stuff in my sleep last night. But of course they didn't, because it was all real.  
  
After breakfast, I saw Hermione walking with her many books. She was a few feet away from me. I held out my foot and tripped her. I saw her books spill. Then I disappeared into the crowd, so she wouldn't notice me.  
  
I chuckled to myself a little as I went to Potions. I was back to the old Draco everybody "knew and loved."  
  
* * *  
  
Outside the Potions classroom waiting for Snape, I was laughing with Crabbe and Goyle. Goyle had just told a witty joke about how many morons it takes to screw in a light bulb. I didn't really get what he meant, so I just laughed to be polite.  
  
"Hey, Draco," I heard Hermione call.  
  
I turned around and saw her standing near me.  
  
"What do you want, Mudblood?" I snapped.  
  
"I want to know why you don't love me anymore," she said in a hurt voice.  
  
"Honestly, Hermione," I said with a sneer. "You're supposed to be the smartest girl in the year, yet you can't even answer a simple question like that?"  
  
"Look," she reached for me. "I know it's all my fault - " her hand rested on my shoulder.  
  
"Don't touch me, Mudblood!" I knocked her hand away.  
  
"But Draco," her eyes filled with tears. "I love you."  
  
"Yeah, Malfoy," said Harry, who started to circle around me like a panther circling it's prey.  
  
"She loves you," said Ron, who joined Harry with the circling.  
  
Even though Ron had a smirk on his face, I could see that his eyes were sad. I don't blame him. Everybody knows that you really have to love someone in order to say so in front of so many people. And she did say she loved someone, but it wasn't him.  
  
"Come on, Malfoy," Harry said. "Kiss her."  
  
"Why?" I asked. I knew this wasn't going to end well.  
  
"Because she loves you," said Ron.  
  
"But I don't love her."  
  
"Yes you do," said Harry. "Now kiss her."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes," said Ron.  
  
"I don't want to!"  
  
They grabbed my robe and threw me into Hermione's arms. She stumbled as I fell on her.  
  
"Now you're in your lover's arms, Malfoy," Ron said. "Kiss her."  
  
"Draco," Hermione said quietly. "I know you don't love me anymore, but they'll never stop talking if you don't kiss me."  
  
"They'll never stop talking if I do," I replied hopelessly. "There's no way out. I'll get taunted either way. Maybe hexed. I hate my life." 


	4. And I Love Her

I was on the Hogwarts Express coming home for the Easter holiday. I was nervous about coming home because Father had threatened to hurt me when I did. But I didn't love Hermione anymore, so he couldn't hurt me.  
  
I remembered the time when Harry and Ron told me to kiss Hermione. It was January and we were waiting outside the Potions classroom...  
  
"Hey, Draco," I heard Hermione call.  
  
I turned around and saw her standing near me.  
  
"What do you want, Mudblood?" I snapped.  
  
"I want to know why you don't love me anymore," she said in a hurt voice.  
  
"Honestly, Hermione," I said with a sneer. "You're supposed to be the smartest girl in the year, yet you can't even answer a simple question like that?"  
  
"Look," she reached for me. "I know it's all my fault - " her hand rested on my shoulder.  
  
"Don't touch me, Mudblood!" I knocked her hand away.  
  
"But Draco," her eyes filled with tears. "I love you."  
  
"Yeah, Malfoy," said Harry, who started to circle around me like a panther circling it's prey.  
  
"She loves you," said Ron, who joined Harry with the circling.  
  
I remember that even though Ron had a sneer on his face, his eyes looked so sad.  
  
"Come on, Malfoy," Harry said. "Kiss her."  
  
"Why?" I asked. I knew this wasn't going to end well.  
  
"Because she loves you," said Ron.  
  
"But I don't love her."  
  
"Yes you do," said Harry. "Now kiss her."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes," said Ron.  
  
"I don't want to!"  
  
They grabbed my robe and threw me into Hermione's arms. She stumbled as I fell on her.  
  
"Now you're in your lover's arms, Malfoy," Ron said. "Kiss her."  
  
"Draco," Hermione said quietly. "I know you don't love me anymore, but they'll never stop talking if you don't kiss me."  
  
"They'll never stop talking if I do," I replied hopelessly. "There's no way out. I'll get taunted either way. Maybe hexed. I hate my life." I looked into Hermione's eyes and they looked hopeful, I knew she wanted me to kiss her. I didn't know what to do, because either way I would be laughed at. I didn't think I could take that kind of torture.  
  
"I can't," I mumbled, looking at my shoes. "I won't kiss a Mudblood." I stood up and walked away but Harry and Ron just pushed me back into her arms.  
  
I came back into reality and put my hand against my cheek, pondering if I still loved Hermione. I noticed my cheek was wet. I had been crying. I gave a shuddery breath and brushed away my tears.  
  
Why do I keep crying? I asked myself. Why do I think I'm still in love with Hermione? Am I? What's wrong with me?  
  
The train was slowing down. I got my trunk from the baggage rack. I sat back down and waited for it to stop. I closed my eyes and wondered if Father was going to carry out with his threat. I hoped not.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oi, Mother," I shouted as I dragged my trunk across the platform to her.  
  
"Hello, Draco," she said. She looked a little more strained than I remembered, but I disregarded it, knowing that Father was under a lot of stress from the Ministry, and when Father is stressed, Mother usually is, too.  
  
"How was school?"  
  
"Not so good," I said, a little downcast.  
  
"Oh? What happened?"  
  
"I got taunted a lot. Mostly about Hermione." I felt a little foolish saying this to her, because it seemed like something I would say if I was seven.  
  
"Well, what can you do? There'll always be kids like that."  
  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"Let's go home and you can tell me everything that happened."  
  
* * *  
  
"I'm hooooooooome!" I yelled up the stairs and made sure the door slammed so everyone in the house could be aware of my presence.  
  
"Hello, Draco, hello, Narcissa," Father said, appearing at the top of the stairs. I didn't like the way he was talking. Every word was coated with ice.  
  
"Hello, Lucius," Mother said. I saw something in her eye that I didn't like. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, though.  
  
"Draco," Father said, still in that icy voice walking down the stairs. "I heard that you're still in love with the Mudblood." He was now right in front of me.  
  
"No," I said. "Not anymore."  
  
"You liar," he whispered dangerously.  
  
"Lucius, please," Mother pleaded. "Don't - "  
  
"Keep out of this, Narcissa!" Father snapped. He grabbed me by the throat. "You're still in love with her, aren't you?"  
  
"No," I managed to say. He was cutting off my air stream. I was finding it hard to breathe.  
  
"Yes, you are. Stop lying."  
  
"Father," I pleaded. "Stop. I - said - I'm - not - in - love - with - her - a - ny - more."  
  
"Impossible!" he shouted. "Your love couldn't end that quickly!" I nodded vigorously, gasping for air.  
  
He threw me across the room. I started taking deep breaths, happy that he let go of my throat. He advanced upon me.  
  
"Crucio!" he said, pointing his wand at me. Suddenly, it seemed as if my whole body was covered with pins and needles. I screamed so loudly, I was sure that they could hear me all the way in Japan. Father lowered his wand and I shakily got up, weak from all the pain and screaming.  
  
"Do you still love her?" Father asked. I shook my head, silent tears flowing down my cheeks.  
  
"You lie," he sneered.  
  
"No," I said. Father raised his wand again. Mother knocked his hand away.  
  
"Lucius," she said, her words sharp as daggers. "You did enough damage. He doesn't love her anymore, alright? Leave him alone, and maybe I won't report you to the Ministry for using an illegal curse."  
  
"You can't report me, Narcissa," he said, pointing his wand at her. "I'll make sure that you don't."  
  
"Draco," she said to me. "Don't bother to unpack your trunk. Take it outside with you and wait for me."  
  
I nodded as she ran upstairs with Father asking what she was going to do. He said that he was the man of the house and whatever he says, goes. She couldn't do whatever she was going to do. I went outside.  
  
* * *  
  
I sat on my trunk and waited for her. I noticed that it was dark outside. I could hear echoes of yells coming from inside our manor. I couldn't quite make out what was being said, though.  
  
Mother came outside after a few minutes dragging a trunk. She looked scared angry, and concerned at the same time. She took one last look at our manor, then turned around and walked away, dragging her trunk behind her into the night. I hurriedly followed.  
  
After walking for about two minutes, Mother held out her hand like she was trying to flag down a cab. Then, two headlights appeared cutting through the darkness. I held up my hands to my face to block the blinding light. I could hear something squeal to a stop. I wondered what it was.  
  
I put my hands down and looked up in wonder. I was looking at a purple triple decker bus with gold writing above the windshield that said The Knight Bus.  
  
"Welcome to the Knight Bus," said a conductor in a purple uniform, who had just stepped out of the bus. "Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening."  
  
"Hello," said Mother. "How much is it to ride the bus?"  
  
"Eleven Sickles," said Stan. "But for fourteen you get hot chocolate, and for fifteen you get a hot water bottle and a toothbrush in the color of your choice."  
  
"Here," said Mother, reaching into her robe pocket and pulling out two Galleons. "Keep the change."  
  
Stan came out of the bus' doorway and dragged our trunks onto the bus.  
  
"Woss your names?" Stan asked, dropping his formal manner.  
  
"Narcissa and Draco Malfoy," said Mother. I could see his face pale for a second as he looked us over. Yes, we Malfoys were very respected, but also highly disliked. If Father didn't work for the Ministry then I'm sure we'd all be dead.  
  
"Let me show you to your beds," Stan said, leading us to the third floor of the bus. He set our trunks down at the far end, by the front. The bus wasn't crowded at all, so I think he did it to get us as far away from him and the driver as possible.  
  
I looked around at my surroundings. It looked like a normal bus, except that it had brass beds instead of seats. Our trunks were placed in front of our beds.  
  
There was a bang and the bus started moving. Everyone and everything that wasn't bolted down was thrown forward about three feet.  
  
"Now," said Stan, still looking a little shook up from the mention of our names. Or maybe it was the sudden start of the bus. I'm not sure. "Where do you want to go?"  
  
"Diagon Alley," Mother replied.  
  
"Right," Stan, looking relieved to go downstairs. "I'll go tell Ern."  
  
"Ern?" Mother asked with an excited look on her face. "He's still here?"  
  
"You - you know him?" Stan looked shocked at the idea of a Malfoy knowing someone he did.  
  
"Yes," said Mother. "I met him on the Knight Bus last time I ran away."  
  
Last time you ran away? I thought.  
  
"Oh, well I'll go tell Ern where, you - eh - want to go." He went down the stairs to tell Ern (who I guessed was the bus driver) where we wanted to go.  
  
I heard voices floating up from the stairwell. I couldn't hear what was being said, but Ern must have told Stan that he knew Mother or something like that because Stan soon came back and helped us drag our trunks to the first floor and set them in front of two beds behind the armchair of the person I thought was Ern. (Yes, Ern was sitting in an armchair behind a steering wheel. I know that's weird, but I'm not the one who designed the bus.)  
  
Ern turned around and looked at us.  
  
"Narcissa?" he asked. "Is that you?" Mother nodded happily.  
  
"Ern," she said, her face breaking out into a smile. "After all these years...it's still you." Ern got up out of his armchair and went to give Mother a hug. Unfortunately, he forgot to stop the bus before doing so. I noticed that there was a big pine tree right in our path.  
  
"AHHH!" I screamed. "WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!!!!!" I held my arms in front of my face and waited for the crash to come. But it didn't. I looked up and saw that the bus had missed the tree entirely.  
  
"What - what happened?" I asked, shook up from the near encounter with the tree. "Did we miss the tree?"  
  
"Yeah," Ern said. "If something's in the path of the Knight Bus, it's charmed to move out of the way."  
  
"Good thing, too." I flopped down on a bed, still shaking.  
  
"So, Narcissa," said Ern taking his seat at the wheel again. "Tell me what happened between last time you ran away and now."  
  
"Well," Mother began, sitting down on a bed next to mine, "It all happened when I was a seventh year at Hogwarts." A dreamy look came over her face as she told us her story.  
  
"When I was a seventh year, I was in love with Lucius Malfoy. My mother knew and said I was being ridiculous. She told me not to waste my time with a bad boy like that and find someone else."  
  
"She was right," said Ern. "There's always been something bad about the Malfoys. No offense," he said quickly, looking at me.  
  
"But I was in love with him anyway," Mother went on. "I was determined to go steady with him by the end of the year. He never noticed me, but I promised myself that I would get him without the aid of love potions. One day, I screwed up enough courage to write him a letter telling him that I liked him. He wrote back telling me that he had seen me in his classes and wanted to know me better. Soon, we started dating. Everybody told us that we were the perfect couple, except my parents. They told me that he would just be up to no good. 'He has bad blood' they told me. 'You'll just end up hurt.' But I didn't listen. I only saw Lucius as a smart, nice and handsome teenager. They told me that I shouldn't be around his kind. They told me to leave him, but I couldn't. I loved him too much. When I told them that he proposed to me and I accepted, they were furious. 'Fine,' they had said. 'But if you have problems with your marriage, don't come crying back to us.' Then they tried to stop my contact with him or any of his friends. I couldn't stand that, so I ran away. That was the first time I rode the Knight Bus. I found him in Diagon Alley, where I was taking refuge, and married him in a Muggle church, where I knew my parents would never think of looking. He was so nice to me, I didn't get why my parents told me to stay away from his kind. He was nice, smart, handsome, and had a good job working at the Ministry. But then, he started to turn mean. I don't know why. One day he came home and started treating me differently. He would call me names, or threaten me. I thought he was going through a phase, so I put up with it. But then, as we were married longer and longer, he started to abuse me. Sometimes he would put hexes on me. I always wore robes with the longest sleeves I could find to hide the bruises he gave me. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have close friends at Hogwarts, and my parents wouldn't talk to me anymore, no matter how many owls I sent them. And anyway, Lucius wouldn't let me send owls or go off our property after a while unless we were invited to a dinner, or something like that. He became a Death Eater soon after that. After being married for a year, Draco was born. At first I didn't like him, because he was a spitting image of Lucius. But then I realized that even though he looked like the demon I married, he didn't have to act that way. I tried to be as kind to him as possible. Lucius couldn't stand the way I treated him. He said I was being too soft and no son of his was going to grow up a pansy. He said that a beating every once in a while would make his son a real man. I refused, so he beat me instead. He would only beat me when Draco wasn't around. Then Draco started school at Hogwarts. The beating became more often, more severe. Especially when he heard this year that he was in love with a Muggle - born. Then, when Draco came home from Easter vacation this year Lucius almost strangled him because of the Muggle - born situation. That's when I snapped. I couldn't stand to see Draco suffer like that. So I packed my trunk and ran away with him. And that's why I'm here now." A long silence followed. Nobody said anything. It was like the time Dumbledore brought Harry in the Great Hall, unconscious, after Ron, Hermione and I beat him up. Except this was more of a thoughtful silence. Not a shocked silence like the other time was.  
  
"God," I said, breaking the silence and making everyone jump. "Seventeen years you were able to put up with that kind of abuse. I don't know if I could have stood it for that long. I probably would have killed myself. "  
  
"There are many times when I did think of killing myself. But then I remembered you, Draco, You were the one who kept me going. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you in Lucius' care. I had no idea what he would do."  
  
"Diagon Alley, next stop" said Ern, changing the subject. There was a bang, and the bus was in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Stan helped unload our trunks and we dragged them to the door of the Leaky Cauldron, where you could hear a babble of talk inside, even though it was late out.  
  
Mother knocked on the door and Tom, the landlord opened it. He greeted us warmly and asked what we were doing here. Mother said that she would explain later and she just wanted a room for me and her. Tom led us into the bar through the chattering crowd, up a flight of stairs and into a room with a number 11 on it. He gave us the key, then left.  
  
"Well, Draco," Mother said, unpacking her trunk. "It looks like this is going to be our home for the next few months."  
  
I didn't say anything, but nodded as I looked in my trunk for my pajamas. Everything was going to be different. So different...  
  
* * *  
  
I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. I knew what had happened, but it was sort of like it never did. Like it was all a dream. But as I looked around and saw Mother sleeping soundly next to me, I knew that there was no escaping the truth. It had happened, and I could never trust Father again.  
  
I got out of bed and looked at my watch. It was 8:00 in the morning. I knew better than to wake Mother up, so I searched through my trunk for something to read. I found the copy of Romeo and Juliet that Hermione had gotten me for Christmas in the very bottom of my trunk under all the schoolbooks, robes, parchment, and God knows what else I have there.  
  
I took it out of the trunk and looked at it. So much had happened since she got it for me. I opened it and read the message she had written on the inside of the front cover. It said:  
  
To Draco, Merry Christmas. May our love last forever. Love, Hermione  
  
So much for our love lasting forever, I thought. Why is it here, anyway? I thought I promised myself I would burn it. Oh, well. At least now I have something to read that's not my schoolbooks.  
  
"Good morning, Draco," Mother said. I looked around and saw her awake.  
  
"Good morning," I replied.  
  
"Sleep well?" I nodded.  
  
"Let's get dressed, go downstairs for breakfast, and I'll tell you the plan for the day."  
  
"Fine." I quickly shucked off my dirty clothes and put on fresh ones. Mother changed as well and we went down to the bar to have breakfast.  
  
* * *  
  
After breakfast, Mother and I went back to our room.  
  
"I'm going too go out," she said. "And take care of some things. While I'm gone, I want you to do your homework." I groaned. She put on her cloak. "I expect two pieces of homework done when when I get back." Then she took her wand and went out the door.  
  
I got out my schoolbooks and decided to work on my essay from Professor Binns first. That way, I could get the boring stuff out of the way.  
  
I was almost done with my essay when Mother came running into the room looking as pale as a ghost. She slammed the door behind her and leaned against it for support. I could see she was shaking.  
  
"He saw me," she said shakily. "Lucius saw me. I started to run away and disappear into the crowd but he followed me. I could hear him behind me all the time, telling me to stop. I kept running. I think he's here right now." Soon, someone was banging on the door.  
  
"NARCISSA, OPEN THE DOOR!" I heard Father's voice yell through the keyhole. My blood froze. He had found us out, and there was no escape.  
  
"GET AWAY FROM US!" Mother yelled back.  
  
"NARCISSA, OPEN THE DOOR NOW!"  
  
"LEAVE US ALONE!"  
  
"FINE, THEN I'LL APPARATE IN!" Now I was really scared.  
  
I heard a pop and he was standing in front of Mother. I backed as far away from him as possible without being seen. I didn't know what to do. I was so scared.  
  
"Why did you try to run from me, Narcissa?" Father asked, his voice silky and soft. Mother looked at him as though he had gone crazy. It was obvious why she did, and took me with her.  
  
"Because you're a monster," Mother replied with such hatred I thought she was going to murder him. "You abused me for no reason, and Draco because he's in love with the 'wrong type.' That's why I ran." Father's eyes grew wide then narrowed into slits.  
  
"You think that's wrong?" Father said, still in that silky voice. "I don't think so. In fact, my father told me that the only way to be strong is a beating every once in a while."  
  
"Maybe you were the kind of type who grew stronger from that kind of abuse," Mother said in a weak voice that was trying to be strong. "But Draco isn't."  
  
"BECAUSE HE'S RAISED BY A WOMAN!" Father yelled. "HE'S BEING TRAINED TO BE A MAMA'S BOY!"  
  
"Maybe I wouldn't be," I said in a stern but quiet voice. "If I wasn't always neglected by the one who could've taught me to be strong." Father turned his hard, cold eyes on me.  
  
"Be quiet boy," Father said in his silky voice again. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Even though he didn't touch me, I felt like I had been slapped hard across the face.  
  
"I think you're the one who doesn't know what you're saying, Father. Since you've always neglected me, let me give you a little update on my life. I'm sixteen years old, been in love, had two girlfriends, passed my O.W.L's, became a suicidal maniac, and will graduate from Hogwarts next year. Don't tell me that I can't think for myself." Father raised his hand to slap me, but it was caught by Mother.  
  
"Stop it, Lucius," Mother said, her hand tight around his wrist. "You've abused us both enough. You say it makes someone strong, but all it really does is make them sad and angry inside. You call it beatings, but the proper name is domestic violence. Now go. I don't want to see you around here anymore." Father turned to me.  
  
"You're still in love with the Mudblood, aren't you?" he asked.  
  
"That's irrelevant," I said.  
  
"No, it isn't," he said. "Because I said so."  
  
"Why am I getting the impression of a five year old?" Father wrenched his hand free of Mother's grasp and slapped me smartly across the face.  
  
"GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW, LUCIUS!" Mother screamed. Father didn't move.  
  
"OUT!" she screamed. "NOW!"  
  
"Narcissa - " Father raised his wand at her, but she pulled out hers and blasted him against the wall before he could do anything.  
  
"I want a divorce," she said as she walked over to him and shoved him out the door. "NOW!" Then she slammed the door in his face.  
  
I stood there, with a look of pure hatred on my face, looking at the door. Mother turned and looked at me.  
  
"Draco?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"WHY DO I HAVE TO LOOK LIKE HIM?" I exploded. "WHY? WHY DO I HAVE TO LOOK LIKE THE MAN WHO IS A HIGHLY WANTED DEATH EATER, WHO KILLED HUNDREDS, MAYBE THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE, ABUSES HIS WIFE AND HIS KID AND MAKES HELL FOR PEOPLE LIKE DUMBLEDORE JUST BECAUSE HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH THEM? WHY? WHY? WHY?" Tears started to cloud my vision as I sat down on the bed and thought of everything that Father had done to me.  
  
"Draco," Mother said soothingly as she sat down on the bed, too, and put her arm around my shoulders. "Don't be angry that you look like him, it's not your fault. In fact, I'm sure that if you looked more like me he would hate you even more."  
  
"But he does hate me," I protested as tears rolled down my cheeks. "That's why he always neglected me. I wish I were dead."  
  
"Don't wish you were dead. Instead, think of all the things you have to live for. Think of Hogwarts, of your grades, of Hermione." I looked at her in surprise.  
  
"How did you know that I still like her?"  
  
"Well," she said slowly. "There's a saying. It goes something like 'the one person you can't fool is your mother,' and it's true."  
  
"Thanks," I said as I huddled against her. "I'll need that kind of support." She kissed the top of my head.  
  
"You know, I was thinking that since Lucius knows where we are, we need a change of location." I looked at her.  
  
"Where would we go? We don't know anyone who would take us in."  
  
"My parents."  
  
"But - I thought you said - "  
  
"Maybe, but it's our only hope. Now go and get the rest of your homework done. I'm going to go out and buy us some things. Meet me in the bar at 12:00 for lunch."  
  
* * *  
  
"So," I said to Mother when we were eating our lunch at the bar. "What did you do?"  
  
"Well," she said. "I went to Gringotts and took a bunch of money out of Lucius' account. Then I went to a Muggle store and bought us clothes."  
  
"Muggle? But I thought you were a Pureblood."  
  
"I am, but my parents like to live like Muggles. They feel it makes them understand Muggles better."  
  
"Oh. Will they let us stay with them?"  
  
"I called them from a nearby pay phone. They said yes. Well, Dad did. He said we should surprise Mom."  
  
"Great. Uh...what's a pay phone?" Mother put her face in her hands.  
  
"Sometimes I forget the ignorance of wizards raised in a non-Muggle environment." She took her face out of her hands. "It's a thing Muggles use to communicate to each other. I can show you when we get there."  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh my God," Mother said as we were walking up the steps of a perfectly ordinary Muggle house. "I'm so nervous. I haven't seen them in seventeen years. What if they don't recognize me anymore?" I was trying to keep calm, but I was nervous as well.  
  
What if they don't like me? I thought. I look just like Father, who isn't the best person to look like right now, considering they refused to let Mother have any contact with anyone from Hogwarts when she said that he had proposed to her. Talk about a bad first impression. I tried to tug on the sleeve of my robe, which is a habit I have of doing when I'm nervous, but then I remembered that I wasn't wearing my robe.  
  
I was wearing a shirt that mother called a polo, a pair of biege-colored pants and a windbreaker. Mother was wearing a black t-shirt, a knee-length skirt, and a denim jacket. She said that we would be less suspicious if we wore Muggle clothes. I didn't care that she was trying to make us less suspicious - looking, I was uncomfortable in these clothes.  
  
Mother rang the doorbell. I could hear it echo inside. Then came footsteps and a man's voice saying "I'll get it!" The door opened and a man in his mid-seventies was looking at us.  
  
He looked at Mother and gave a small gasp. Mother did the same.  
  
"Narcissa?" he asked. "Is that really you? Has it really been so long?"  
  
"Dad?" Mother asked. "God, it has been so long." They started to hug each other.  
  
Geez, I thought. I feel like I'm in the middle of a cheesy movie about a girl and her long-lost father. Then I reminded myself that this was actually going on, except it was in real life.  
  
"Come inside, come inside," the man said. We followed him through the door into a hallway. We stopped outside a door.  
  
"Shhh," the man said, putting a finger to his lips. "I want to surprise your mother, Narcissa." He went inside and said to someone I couldn't see, "Amaryllis, guess who's here?"  
  
"The Queen Mother?" I heard a woman say sarcastically.  
  
"No," he said. "Someone even better." He mentioned for Mother and I to come in. As soon as we stepped in the room, I saw the woman's eyes fill with tears.  
  
"Narcissa," she said. "I'm so happy to have you back." Mother went up to her and they hugged each other. While all this was happening, I was leaning in the doorway, feeling sort of out of place at this time and moment.  
  
While I was waiting for them to finish hugging, I took a look at the room. I noticed that their living room had a blood red couch and two chairs of the same color. They had fancy wall lamps which gave off light without fire. There was a coffee table in the middle of the room. I also noticed that they had two bookshelves with many books.  
  
"I was afraid I'd lost you," the woman went on. "Just like I lost Lily and Petunia."  
  
"You didn't really lose Petunia, Mom," Mother said, still hugging her. "Just lost touch."  
  
"Lily?" I asked. "As in Lily - "  
  
"Who's this?" the woman asked, looking in my direction and cutting me off. "Is he your son, Narcissa?" Mother nodded. "He looks just like his father," the woman went on with a click of her tongue. "How old are you, boy?"  
  
"Sixteen," I said.  
  
"Sixteen years," she said with a slight shake of her head. "We've been out of touch for so long."  
  
"But we're back together, Mom."  
  
"I wish I could say the same about Petunia and Lily."  
  
"Um..." I butted in. "I don't mean to be rude, but can I please be introduced to everyone here?"  
  
"Oh!" the woman said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that you would have no clue who we were. I'm Amaryllis Evans, and this is Edgar Evans." she pointed to the man, who was standing behind me. "And you are?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy," I said. "Is there anything specific you would like me to call you?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Edgar asked.  
  
"Well, you are my grandparents, so by what I should call you I mean, like, Grandmother and Grandfather, or, I don't know."  
  
"Edgar and Amaryllis would be fine," Edgar replied. "By the way, Draco, didn't you want to say something earlier? About Lily?"  
  
"Yes. I wanted to know if when Amaryllis said Lily she meant Lily Potter." I silently hoped that the answer was a no.  
  
"I did," she said.  
  
"So Lily Potter is my aunt, right?"  
  
"Right," Mother and Amaryllis said at the same time. I did some quick figuring in my head.  
  
"Ooooh," I said, putting my face in my hands. "This is not good."  
  
"What's not good?" Edgar asked.  
  
"It means that Harry Potter is my cousin," I moaned, flopping down on the couch.  
  
"What's so bad about that?"  
  
"Lots of things. Firstly," I said, ticking the reasons off on my fingers. "I'm a Slytherin and he's a Gryffindor. Slytherins and Gryffindors are not supposed to get along. Secondly, I'm a Malfoy and he's a Potter. Malfoys and Potters are not supposed to get along. Thirdly, we hate each other. That needs no explanation. Fourthly, my father is a Death Eater, therefore, he is after Harry."  
  
"Hmmmm," Amaryllis said. "That could be a problem."  
  
"Could be? It is! Do you know how many times I've gotten into arguments or fights with Harry? This'll ruin my reputation!"  
  
"Well," said Amaryllis. "That's life for you. Do you want anything to eat? Or drink?"  
  
"Wait a minute!" I said, sitting up straight. "You can't be related to the Evans', Mother."  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
"Because Petunia's a muggle! Lily was a witch born into a muggle family!"  
  
"Oh, is that what she's been saying?" Mother tried to stifle a laugh.  
  
"Isn't that true?"  
  
"No. In fact, it's the opposite. Petunia's a squib born into a wizard family."  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't get it," I said to Mother as we were getting ready for bed in her old bedroom.  
  
Her bedroom had a wall-to-wall carpet in a tawny color on the floor, bunk beds against one wall with dressers and a bookshelf against the opposite one.  
  
"Don't get what?" she asked me.  
  
"Well, Dumbledore said that Harry was living with the Dursleys because they were his only living relatives, but they're not. So why is he living with them, when he probably would have had an easier time living with his grandparents, who he doesn't even know exist." Mother just shrugged and said that Dumbledore has his ways.  
  
* * *  
  
Easter vacation was over and I was at King's Cross Station, standing in front of the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Mother, Amaryllis, and Edgar were there, also.  
  
"Goodbye," I said. "See you over Summer break."  
  
"Not now," said Mother. "We're going onto the platform with you." I went through the barrier onto platform nine and three quarters, closely followed by my mother and grandparents.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey, Malfoy!" I heard someone call. I turned around and saw Ron Weasley yelling at me. "Glad to come back to Hogwarts?" he taunted. "Glad that you're going to see your girlfriend again?"  
  
"Shut up, Weasel!" I called back. "You know you're just jealous that she likes me and not you!"  
  
"What do you know about love, Malfoy? Nobody but your mother could love you!"  
  
"Then how come Hermione said she loved me in front of both the Slytherins and Gryffindors?" Ron couldn't think of a response to that comeback, so he walked away, dragging his trunk behind him.  
  
"Well, I'd better get on the train, then," I said. I said my goodbyes to Mother, Edgar, and Amaryllis, promised to write, then made my way for the train.  
  
* * *  
  
I walked the length of the car, looking for a compartment that wasn't occupied. I found one towards the end of the car, put my trunk on the baggage rack and sat down, waiting for the train to start.  
  
After the train started, I pulled out Romeo and Juliet and started to read. When I was at the part where Juliet is first introduced, I heard a knock at the door. I looked over the top of my book and saw a girl who looked younger than me. She was holding her trunk and knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in," I said, without putting my book down. She came in and put her trunk on the baggage rack.  
  
"You don't mind my being here, do you?" she asked, sitting down. "Everywhere else is full." I shook my head.  
  
"You look familiar," I said, putting my book down. "What's your name?"  
  
"Diana," she said.  
  
"What house are you in?"  
  
"Ravenclaw."  
  
"Nope, don't know you. Wait a second, were you at Hogwarts over Christmas break?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Hmmmm.... I think I know you. Did I give you a ring then burst out crying?"  
  
"You mean this ring?" she put her hand in her robe pocket and took out the ring I gave to Hermione.  
  
"Yes!" I almost shouted. "That's it! That's the ring!" She looked at me and put the ring back in her pocket.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
  
"Draco Malfoy," I said. I saw her eyes widen. Then out of the blue, she came over and slapped my face.  
  
"Ow!" I cried, holding my cheek. "What did you do that for?"  
  
"I wanted to do that for a long time," she said, fire burning in her eyes.  
  
"Because of my father?" She nodded.  
  
"Look, I don't care what you choose to believe, but I'm not like my father at all. We look alike, but that's as far as similarities go."  
  
Harry and Ron walked over and stuck their heads in the door.  
  
"Hey, Malfoy," Ron said. "Were those people you were standing with earlier your grandparents? They didn't look like Malfoys."  
  
"That's because they're Evans'," I said coolly.  
  
"Oh," said Harry. "So you're saying that your grandparents have the same last name as my mom. Riiiiight."  
  
"I'm serious! Amaryllis and Edgar Evans had three children: Lily, Petunia, and Narcissa."  
  
"That's impossible. My mother was muggle-born."  
  
"No, she wasn't. The Evans' are wizards, they just live like muggles." Harry's eyes narrowed.  
  
"How come you're such an expert on my family all of a sudden?"  
  
"I was staying with them over Easter holiday. And it's not just your family," I added as an afterthought. "But my family, too."  
  
"So you're saying we're related?"  
  
"Unfortunately, yes." Harry's eyes widened and he looked like he was struck speechless. Then, he burst out laughing.  
  
"What's so funny?" Ron asked.  
  
"If he's truly related to me," Harry said between fits of laughter. "Then he's related to Dudley." Ron started to laugh, also. It hadn't occurred to me before. I had heard about Dudley from eavesdropping on Harry and learned that he was not the best person to be around.  
  
Harry and Ron left, laughing like a pair of hyenas. But then, when they were out of sight, I heard Harry speak.  
  
"I have other family," he said. "I actually have other family besides the Dursleys and nobody told me!" I turned back to my book.  
  
"Hey, Draco," I heard Hermione's voice say. I looked up and saw her standing in the doorway of the compartment. "Can I come in?" I nodded. She came in and sat down next to me.  
  
"What is it this time?" I asked her. She gave me a weird look.  
  
"You know," I said. "Every time you have to talk to me you're saying that you don't love me when I love you. And when I don't love you, you love me. Look," I said, grabbing her shoulders. "We both love each other, that's obvious. But can't we do it at the same time?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Draco," she said. "Sorry about everything. About Ron, about the ring, about the suicidal phase..." She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. I put my arms around her.  
  
"I still love you, you know," she said. She started to hum a song.  
  
"How does that song go?"  
  
"What song?"  
  
"The one you were just humming."  
  
"Bright are the stars that shine, Dark is the sky, I know this love of mine will never die, And I love her"  
  
"That's a beautiful song. Who's it by?"  
  
"The Beatles. It's one of my favorites."  
  
"Let's make it our song, so we can remember this moment forever."  
  
"Um," Diana said. We turned and looked at her.  
  
"I think you two are going to need this," she said as she took out the ring I had given Hermione. Hermione took it from her.  
  
"You've had it all this time?" Hermione asked her with a smile as she fingered it.  
  
"Ever since Christmas break. I've kept it as a good luck charm."  
  
I took it from Hermione and slipped it on her finger.  
  
"Always keep this," I told her. "Don't ever let it go."  
  
* * *  
  
A week into school, during breakfast, I got a letter from Mother. I broke the seal and opened it up, wondering what she could be writing about.  
  
Dear Draco, the letter said. I'm so glad that you and Hermione are back together again. You were so depressed without her.  
  
I have some really good news for you. I divorced Lucius and got custody of you and the house.  
  
"Yes!" I cried.  
  
I also turned Lucius in to the Ministry for using an illegal curse. He's in Azkaban now. Maybe I should feel some regret or pity, but I don't.  
  
Neither do I, I thought. He deserved it.  
  
Hope the rest of your school year is a happy one.  
  
Love, Mother 


End file.
